Church Of St Uvelus

A parish church of considerable historical importance, with origins in the late 11th or early 12th century. The north wall of the nave is probably all that survives from this Norman period. The north transept, likely rebuilt in the 13th century, suggests the church once had a cruciform plan. The 15th century saw major rebuilding: the nave (except its Norman north wall) and chancel were reconstructed, and a south aisle with south porch were added. The west tower collapsed in 1700 and was re-erected in 1724-7 by Bristol merchants as a navigation landmark for their ships; a north porch was also added at this time. The church underwent restoration by J.D. Sedding in 1889, when it was reseated and pinnacles were added to the tower. The tower roof was repaired in 1934.

The building is constructed of slate rubble with Catacleuse and granite dressings, with slate roofs and granite coping to the gable ends.

Exterior

The tall early 18th-century unbuttressed west tower dominates the west end. It is built in three stages with weathered string courses, a hollow chamfered plinth, cornice, and embattled parapet. The parapet is crowned with reused granite octagonal crenellated pinnacles with obelisk finials terminating in small balls; the granite moulded coping to the battlements also appears to be reused material. The tower is constructed of slate rubble with bands of dressed stone. The top stage features traceried 2-light bell-openings on each side with pierced slate baffles; the tracery appears to have been reused from the earlier tower. The tall light west window also retains tracery from the previous tower. The moulded west doorway has a 2-centred arch with keystone.

The north wall of the nave retains a small round-headed Norman window at its west end. The 18th-century gabled north porch has a dressed slate round arch with granite keystone dated 1724; the doorway is blocked and the inner doorway is inaccessible. The north transept is lit by 19th-century Perpendicular style windows—3 lights to the north and 2 lights to the east. The chancel has a wide 19th-century 5-light Perpendicular style east window. The south aisle retains its original 15th-century Perpendicular windows: five 2-light windows on the south side with 2-centred arches and hoodmoulds, and one 3-light window on the east end, also with hoodmoulds. The gable south porch has a moulded granite round arch doorway with panelled polygonal responds and a circa 13th-century moulded 2-centred arch inner doorway with convex stops.

Interior

The interior has whitewashed stone rubble walls. The nave, chancel, and south aisles are roofed with original 15th-century wagon roofs featuring moulded ribs, wall plates, and carved bosses; some ribs and wall plates over the nave appear to have been replaced. The north porch has a 19th-century soft-wood wagon roof, and the north transept has circa 20th-century arch-braced collar trusses. Window rear arches are of rough stone. The tall tower arch has chamfered responds and imposts with a dressed stone round arch.

The Norman north window is deeply splayed internally and has a dressed stone arch bearing some surviving painted mural decoration.

The 6-bay granite south arcade features moulded 4-centred arches and Pevsner A-type monolithic piers with bell-shaped bases and capitals carved with bands of low-relief stylised leaf work. The arcade bay under the rood loft is half-width with a low Tudor arch.

A simple chamfered 2-centred arch piscina survives on the south side of the chancel. The church retains a good set of 15th-century carved bench ends and arcading with tracery, reset on 19th-century restored benches. The ends are carved with initials, Instruments of the Passion, and shields. The choir stalls date to circa the early 20th century.

Only the wainscot of the rood screen survives, with traceried panels. Those in the south aisle are finely carved with Renaissance influence; the section across the nave retains some colour. The carved octagonal pulpit is early 17th-century. The carved wooden lectern is mid to late 19th-century. The carved wooden reredos and altar are late 19th or early 20th-century, with a late 19th-century altar rail featuring wrought iron stanchions.

The font has a simple hemispherical bowl on a short column; it appears to be 18th-century but is believed to be Norman in origin. Its octagonal domed cover with finial is stored in the north transept. The north transept contains a 17th-century table, probably the original altar table.

The Royal Arms on the north wall of the nave are probably from the reign of Charles II, painted on board and overpainted in the 18th century. The late 19th-century organ is by Bryceson Bros. and Morton of London. The six bells were rehung and two recast in 1892, with another added in 1907. There is no stained glass except for a small early 20th-century memorial window in the transept, by Jones and Willis of London.

Monuments

Three good slate rural monuments are located in the north transept. The finest is to Simon Leach, died 1672, carved in relief with an inscription in an oval flanked by pilasters with large acanthus leaves on the shafts and his arms above flanked by vases of flowers. The other two slate monuments commemorate William Trevethick, died 1692/3, and another William Trevethick, died 1731.

Wartime and Later History

During the Second World War and until 1958, the church served as both the parish church and the station church of the RAF. Various squadron badges from the aerodrome are displayed on the church walls. A memorial to a Shackleton aircrew lost in North Borneo is positioned on the north wall. This memorial was moved from RAF Changi, along with a font cover (now in use), when 205 Squadron withdrew from Singapore.