Church Of St Michael

A chapelry dedicated to St Michael, positioned on the east side of Porthilly Cove overlooking the Camel Estuary. The church dates from around the 12th century, with its main structure comprising a nave, chancel and south transept. The earliest work dates to the early 12th century front.

The south transept was partly remodelled in the 13th century, retaining a contemporary lancet window and piscina. A narrow one-bay south chancel aisle was added around the 15th century. The church underwent substantial restoration between 1865 and 1867, when part of the existing structure was rebuilt, the south porch and south tower were reconstructed, and a vestry was added. The vicar at the time was W. Hart-Smith, and the architect responsible was possibly J.P. St Aubyn.

The church is constructed of stone rubble with 19th-century granite dressings. The roof is slate with gable ends, with the nave and chancel under one continuous roof. The 19th-century south tower stands above the porch and has a saddle-back roof, comprising two stages: an entrance porch at ground floor level with a moulded two-centred granite arch and a two-light opening with slate louvres to the belfry above.

The original 12th-century church probably comprised nave, chancel and south transept, with possible archaeological evidence for a north transept. In the 13th century the south transept was widened to the west. Around the 15th century, the nave, chancel and south transept were re-roofed, and an arch was inserted at the north-east corner of the south transept to provide a hagioscope between the transept and chancel. The roodscreen and pulpit were added in the late 15th to early 16th century.

The north elevation remains unpierced, with the 19th-century vestry added to the east of the roodloft projection beneath a continuous outshut roof. The south transept retains a restored three-light Perpendicular window in the south gable end and a 13th-century lancet window in the east wall. The chancel window was restored in 1865, with the surround and its basket arch retained and scroll dripstones probably reworked. The west window of the nave was renewed with 19th-century Perpendicular tracery.

Interior features include 15th-century waggon roofs to the nave, chancel and south transept, heavily restored in 1865 with some moulded ribs and moulded wall plates surviving in the south transept. The chancel roof appears to have been largely renewed. The one-bay arcade to the south chancel aisle has type A piers (Pevsner classification) with moulded base and caps and a four-centred arch. The four-centred arch forming the return to the north-east of the south transept is moulded on the west face and chamfered on the east.

The lower framework of the 19th-century roodscreen survives, with moulded and chamfered stiles carved with rosettes and bases stopped with ornate carvings of vases and floral trails. The cill survives in part. The circa early 16th-century pulpit is of high quality, with a contemporary moulded stem and hexagonal drum carved with linen fold panelling.

The church retains a 12th-century font with a circular bowl, round shaft with cable moulding and square base. A 13th-century piscina survives in the east wall of the south transept, a 14th-century piscina in the south wall of the chancel, and a credence or ambry in the north wall. A slate ledger stone to the north of the font commemorates William Rounsevall, who died in 1659, with border inscription, decorated panel and verse. The stone also records details of the will of Helen Prositt, who died in 1760 and bequeathed money to the poor of St Minver Lowlands. The furnishings have been largely renewed in the 15th and 20th centuries.