Church of St Ildierna

The Church of St Ildierna at Lansallos is a parish church dedicated in 1331. The nave and chancel probably date to the dedication, while the three-bay north aisle, which may incorporate masonry from an earlier north transept in its west wall, was likely added in the late 15th century. A six-bay south aisle was constructed around the mid-15th century. The two-stage west tower, probably 15th century but reusing some 14th-century masonry, had a third stage added in the later 15th century. A south porch was added to the south aisle in the late 15th century. The church was restored in 1883–84 and in the early 20th century by E.H. Sedding, who noted that reused wrought stonework taken from a Norman arcade had been built into the north and south walls of the present structure.

The south aisle, north aisle, south porch, and lower two stages of the west tower are constructed of coursed stonework, with the upper stage of the tower built in stone rubble. Rag slate covers the nave, chancel, and north aisle; the south aisle has a regular slate roof. Several straight joints visible in the north aisle mark where masonry from the earlier north transept was reused and where the rood-loft projection has been removed.

The nave and chancel project eastward beyond the six-bay south aisle and three-bay north aisle. The south aisle has five original Perpendicular traceried windows in its south wall, consisting of three-light openings with four-centred arches and hoodmoulds; the top lights have been renewed. The Perpendicular west window of the south aisle was renewed in the 19th century, and the east window has been restored. The chancel and east window of the north aisle display 19th-century Perpendicular tracery. The north aisle has a door in a low rectangular surround with a moulded flat four-centred arch with incised spandrels. To the west is a simple, possibly 16th-century three-light window with round-headed lights and simple traceried lights above, followed by a three-light rectangular window with chamfered mullions and moulded jambs. The west end of the north aisle has been altered, with a re-worked window set high in the gable end.

The north wall of the nave to the west features two three-light Perpendicular windows in rectangular surrounds. The west window has been renewed; the east window has cusped heads to its lights. The west tower, built in three stages, has stepped angle buttresses with carved panels at their base and a battlemented parapet with turrets and crocketted finials. The west door is set in a rectangular surround with a heavy roll mould, possibly renewed or restored. Above it is a renewed three-light Perpendicular window with a four-centred arch. Directly above is a niche containing a grotesque on a corbelled base, with a possibly 14th-century ogee-headed opening above that. The belfry openings are three-light Perpendicular windows with four-centred arches and slate louvres. The south porch has a gabled frontage with a cavetto-moulded three-centred arch, a holy water stoup of reused stone on its east wall, and a south door with a heavily moulded four-centred arched opening. The oak door is of double construction.

Internally, the church features circa 15th-century unstained waggon roofs of high quality throughout. The nave waggon roof has carved transverse ribs with two unmoulded ribs between, carved longitudinal ribs, an arcade plate and wallplate, with bosses that are partly restored. The chancel has a 20th-century boarded ceiling to the roof, with finely carved longitudinal and transverse ribs, a north arcade plate, and restored bosses. The south aisle roof has moulded transverse ribs with three plain ribs between, carved longitudinal ribs decorated with scrollwork, and interlaced carving on the arcade and wallplates, probably originally decorated with shields. Similar interlaced carving appears on the longitudinal and transverse ribs at the east end of the south aisle. The north aisle roof has carved transverse ribs with three unmoulded ribs between, carved longitudinal ribs, an arcade and wallplate, and partly restored bosses. The south porch features a fine waggon roof with moulded and carved longitudinal and transverse ribs, a carved wallplate, and mostly renewed bosses.

The north arcade comprises three bays with four-centred arches with concave and convex moulding, supported on Type A granite piers (as identified by Pevsner). The second pier from the east has a carved capital. The six-bay south arcade has four-centred arches with concave moulding, supported on Type A piers with moulded bases and capitals featuring carved abaci. The tower arch is almost four-centred, rising from corbel responds.

The church contains thirty-four particularly fine carved oak bench ends, dating to circa 1490–1520, decorated with heraldic arms, figure heads, and Renaissance detailing. Remains of the rood screen are visible at the east end of the nave, the east end of the south aisle, and in part of the north aisle, featuring ogee-headed lights with Renaissance detailing, carved intertwined foliage, and a moulded rail. The base of the rood-loft stair is visible in the north wall of the north aisle.

A square Norman font with panelled sides is decorated with a Tree of Life and fleur de lis, with circa 18th-century marble piers at its corners. Behind the font lie the remains of an earlier font discovered buried at Higher Town Farm, Lansallos. The church also contains a heavily restored altar table with claw-and-ball feet and circa 19th-century mutilated effigies of a knight and lady near the south door, probably members of the Hywysch family who were Lords of the fortified manor house of Raphael.

Notable monuments include a ledger stone remounted on the south wall of the south aisle to Margery Smith, who died in 1579, signed by Peter Crocker. It features a shallow relief of a woman in a farthingale, pointed stomacher, and ruff, with the kirtle decorated with incised patterns, heraldic arms, and a marginal inscription. Several 18th- and 19th-century memorials and ledger stones are set in the east end of the slate flag floor. A cracked bell rehoused at the west end of the church is inscribed "Sancta Margareta ora pro nobis" with heraldic shields. William of Worcester noted circa 1478 that St Hildern, Bishop, was buried before the high altar, though no evidence of this has been revealed in archaeological excavations.

The Church of St Ildierna is of particularly high standard, notable for its very fine waggon roofs, carved bench ends, the memorial by Peter Crocker, Norman font, and 14th-century mutilated carved figures of the Hywysch family.