Church Of St Mary Magdalene

Church of St Mary Magdalene, Launceston

A chapel that later became the parish church serving the town of Launceston. The building dates from the late 14th century for its tower, with the main church constructed between 1511 and 1524 for Sir Henry Trecarrel of Trecarrel. It was restored in 1852 and again in 1893. The church is built of carved granite and granite ashlar with embattled parapets and coped gables, with dry Delabole slate roofs. The tower is constructed of coursed greenstone.

The plan consists of a west tower, originally detached from the main building, a nave and chancel, north and south aisles of equal length, and a south porch. The four-stage embattled tower features setback angle buttresses and a stair-tower on its south-east side. The west front has a moulded pointed-arched doorway positioned right of centre, with a three-light traceried window above it containing a trefoil-headed light.

The 16th-century church is buttressed and displays elaborate carved decoration extending to a parapet cornice, which runs as a string at the gable ends. The decorative scheme is exceptionally rich. The plinth features quatrefoils alternating with coats of arms and fleur-de-lis. Above this runs a course of tracery containing coats of arms and a sequence of letters reading, from east to west: "AVE MARIA GRACIA PLENA DOMINUS TECUM, SPONSUS AMAT SPONSAM, MARIA OPTIMAM PARTEM ELIGIT. O QUAM TERRIBILIS ET METUENDUS EST LOCUS ISTE. VERE ALUID NON EST HIC NISI DOMUS DEI ET PORTA CEL." A course of rose-and-thistle ornament runs above the letters. The weathered buttresses dividing the bays are also carved. The church extends for seven bays east of the porch, with the arms of Henry III displayed on the east gable and a niche containing a figure of Mary Magdalene. The original traceried windows survive; the central north window retains thick 18th-century glazing bars, whilst the others have leaded glazing. The windows are mostly four-light, except for the five-light chancel window.

The two-storey south porch has diagonally-set buttresses and a four-centred arched doorway with a square hoodmould and nook shafts. Two first-floor windows with round-headed lights flank a central niche containing a terracotta statue of Mary Magdalene.

Interior

The walls are plastered. The church has eight-bay arcades with cruciform-on-plan piers, each featuring a central round shaft and three roll mouldings to each compass point. The roofs are late 19th-century carved oak waggon roofs, which are copies of the original 1524 roofs. Coloured memorial glass is installed in the south aisle and at the east end. The porch retains an octagonal piscina to the right of the inner four-centred arched doorway, and the porch corners have moulded imposts from a former vault.

The fittings are of exceptional quality. The font consists of a Norman bowl serving as the base for a 1914 font with a carved cover. Most remarkable is the exceptionally fine 16th-century octagonal painted carved oak pulpit. A pew back dates to 1654; other oak pews were installed by Arnold Fellows in 1894. The arms of George I appear over the choir vestry door. The organ front dates to 1723 and is constructed of oak with fielded panels, possibly by Thomas Schwarbrick. It was rebuilt and enlarged in 1904 by Hele of Plymouth and last rebuilt in 1960, though it retains much of its 18th-century fabric. An alabaster reredos by Harry Hems of Exeter is installed; a lectern from 1895 was made by Rattee & Kett of Cambridge to commemorate George and Emlin Gifford. Carved oak parclose screens date to 1904, a carved oak chancel screen to 1911 by Rashleigh Pinwell, memorial choir stalls to 1893 (in honour of John and Sarah Jane Ching), and a triptych occupies the Lady Chapel.

Monuments include a freestone and slate tablet to the south wall dated 1667 commemorating Sarah, wife of John Ruddle. A large two-storey marble monument on the north wall dates to 1731 and honours Granville Pyper and Richard Wise, both former mayors. It is executed with Corinthian and Ionic orders and a moulded entablature, with a central panel depicting a mother and three children, flanked by busts and topped with an urn finial. A marble and freestone memorial to Reverend William Bedford (died 1787 aged 63) and his wife Mary (died 1783 aged 55), along with their sons, is also present. A large monument behind the organ loft commemorates Elizabeth Herle of Dockacre House, inscribed "Depart ye life ye December 1714 by starvation or other unlawful means". Carved 17th-century figures from the Piper monument are displayed inside the south door. Mid- to late 19th-century stained glass includes a memorial of 1883 to Sir Henry Trecarrel.

Historical Significance

This is the most spectacular late medieval church in Cornwall. The exceptionally elaborate carved ornamentation is paralleled by contemporary work at St Mary Truro (now part of the cathedral) and Probus. Launceston served as the county town until 1835.