Church Of St Fimbarrus Or St Nicholas

Church of St Fimbarrus or St Nicholas

This parish church at Fowey was re-dedicated in 1336 after presumed rebuilding, then substantially remodelled, extended, re-roofed and re-fenestrated in the 15th century. The church was restored in 1876. It is constructed of slatestone rubble with freestone and granite dressings. The roofs are of dry Oelabole slate over the nave, chancel and north aisle, with lead covering the flat roofs elsewhere; there is a rubble and brick stack over the vestry.

The church comprises a 14th-century nave, chancel and north aisle, with a 15th-century south aisle, south porch, west tower and rebuilding of the chancel's east end. An old vestry occupies the north-east corner, and a 20th-century flat-roofed vestry was added to the north-west corner.

The exterior displays buttressed and embattled south aisle, south porch and tower, with the tower buttresses set back from the corners. The clerestory, tower and the south aisle window to the left of the porch feature 15th-century tracery; other windows are 19th-century copies or restorations. The two-storey south porch has a 4-centred arched doorway of 3 orders at each end of its axial through-passage. The tower is tall with 4 stages and has two bands of ornament (cusped and crested) to the plinth and to the strings dividing the stages, with crocketted corner pinnacles. The north aisle is sandwiched between the nave and the perimeter wall of Place House, with flying buttresses connecting the aisle to that wall.

The interior contains rare 14th-century 4-bay arcades between the nave and aisles with plain octagonal piers and steep pointed arches of 2 orders with chamfered mouldings. The walls are plastered with exposed stone 15th-century chamfered rear arches and colonnettes. A pointed tower arch of 3 chamfered orders rises above. The nave is covered by a fine restored 15th-century waggon roof with carved principal trusses, under-purlins and bosses; a repaired 15th-century flat ceiling features moulded cross and axial beams forming panels. A 15th-century rood stair with original doorways stands on the north side of the original rood position. The porch has an 8-ribbed stone vault and a doorway in its south-east corner giving access to the room above.

The church contains a 12th or early 13th-century round Catecleuse stone font decorated with star and anthemion motifs, and a fine carved oak pulpit dated 1601. A painted letter above the south doorway, from Charles I's camp at Sudeley Castle, is dated 10 September 1643. The tower houses an 18th-century painted board depicting bell-ringers and another painted panel. A late 19th or early 20th-century rood screen is executed in the style of a 15th-century example. 19th-century pitch-pine pews have panelled backs and shaped ends; most other fittings are 20th-century.

The church contains numerous fine wall monuments, including: a Perpendicular Gothic style monument to Frances, wife of the Reverend John Kempe, died 1840 aged 70, and Louise, daughter of the Reverend G H Kempe and his wife Sophia (1840-1855); a small marble monument with broken pediment to Thomas Rashleigh of Coombe, died 1662 aged 67; a large marble and freestone monument with broken pediment to John Rashleigh, died 1624 aged 70, carved with a mother and children flanked by women and with scrolled baluster buttresses; a carved marble panel in a moulded plaster frame with Latin inscription; two monuments in a window reveal to Mary, daughter of Jonathan Rashleigh of Menabilly, and Sarah, daughter of Richard Hiller, died 1664; a cartouche of 1683 with broken pediment and coat of arms; a gilded and painted cartouche to William Toller, died 1634; a monument to John Treffry recording details of a property settlement; an urn on a chest to Susannah, wife of Thomas Graham, died 1779 aged 78, and Thomas Graham, died 1792 aged 65; and a grave slab inscribed "YE FIRST YEAR OF THE RAYNG OF KYING HENRY THE EYGHTH, HERE LIE THE BODYES OF SIR JOHN TREFFRY, KNYGHT, WILLIAM TREFFRY & THOMAS", depicting three knights in armour.

Two floor brasses near the pulpit commemorate Alice, wife of John Rashleigh, died 1591, and another now without inscription. Two further brasses are located in the east window of the south aisle.

The south aisle west window contains glass to Annie Ellen Purcell, daughter of Edward John and Anne Treffry.

The church is notable for its unusual south porch and west tower, and possesses extremely rare 14th-century arcades for Cornwall.