Church Of St Merteriana

Church of St Merteriana, Forrabury and Minster

A parish church built on or near the site of a priory, comprising elements dating from the late Norman period through to the early 16th century, substantially restored in 1870.

The church is thought to have originally comprised a chancel, nave and west tower, dating to around the 13th century. The north wall of the nave was rebuilt around the 15th century. The west tower, possibly originally 13th century, was largely rebuilt in the late 15th or early 16th century. The five-bay south aisle and south porch were probably added in the early 16th century, possibly during the incumbency of John Trelawney (1507–1538). The fenestration in the nave and south aisle appears stylistically to date from the 16th to early 17th century, although the moulded jambs may be earlier.

The church underwent restoration in 1870 by J.P. St. Aubyn, during which the roof, which had apparently fallen in, was replaced. The masonry in the south aisle was possibly partly rebuilt, the tower was possibly partly rebuilt and reduced to one stage with a new saddle-back roof, and the church was re-roofed and refurnished. The fenestration and arcade remained unaltered.

The chancel is constructed of slate-stone rubble with exceptionally thick masonry (over four feet) and a battered base. The north wall of the nave is notable for its construction, faced with ashlar blocks of granite interspersed with thinner bands of shale. The west tower has a moulded granite plinth and four courses of ashlar granite blocks with intervening shale courses, an elaborate moulded plinth and slate-stone rubble above. The south aisle and porch are of slate-stone rubble with moulded plinth. The roof is of slate covering both nave and chancel as one.

The Perpendicular tracery in the nave, south aisle and tower appears stylistically to date from the 16th or early 17th century, comprising simple round-headed lights with the central light raised. The moulded jambs are possibly earlier, with probably later pointed hood moulds. The mullions are moulded with a roll mould on the exterior.

The west tower consists of one stage with a saddle-back roof. The west door has a moulded granite segmental arch with carved spandrels. A three-light west window and two-light belfry openings on the west and east faces are similarly decorated with carved spandrels. A pair of scissors has been carved on the north side of the west face. The north wall of the nave features two-light and three-light 16th-century fenestration. The north wall of the chancel retains a circa 13th-century lancet window with a later head and a two-light circa 13th-century window with an eroded central mullion. The early 16th-century three-light east window was restored in 1859, and a similar four-light early 16th-century east window lights the south aisle. The south aisle contains three-light and four-light 16th-century tracery. The gabled south porch has a moulded three-centred arch with carved spandrels and hood mould, stone benches and a four-centred arch to the south door with double roll mould and simple rounded stops.

The interior roof, replaced in 1870, features arch braces with one tier of wind braces in the south aisle and two tiers in the nave. The five-bay arcade to the south aisle comprises type A (Pevsner) piers with moulded caps and bases and four-centred arcade arches with chamfer and cavetto mould. The 19th-century furnishings include a credence table incorporating remains of circa early 16th-century carved bench ends.

The font dates to circa the 12th century and is made of greenstone with a round bowl, square stem and octagonal base. The bowl is lead-lined and, according to Sedding, is decorated with incised lines probably representing a type of previous ornamentation.

The church contains numerous memorials and monuments. A brass commemorates Hender Robarts (1602), with a memorial to John Cotton (1703) in the chancel. Two fine monuments in the south aisle honour John Hender (1611) and William and Elizabeth Cotton (1656), both featuring two kneeling figures at prayer desks. The Cotton monument carries the verse: "forty-nine years they lived man and wife and whats more rare thus many without strife shee first departing, hee a few weekes tryed To live without her - could not-and so dyed...". A fine collection of ledger stones, reset at the west end of the south aisle, includes memorials to William Cotton of Bottreaux Castle (1673), Sarah his wife (1676), Jane Silly (1689) daughter of Chaunter Cotton and relict of John Silly of St Minver, and Sir Jonathan Phillips of Newport House, Cornwall, who bequeathed £100 for the benefit of poor families in the parish (1799). Other memorials commemorate John Avery (1817), Jonathan Phillips and Charles Cotton Phillips (1769).

The tower contains one bell, known as the tinking bell, formerly positioned over the west door of Bodmin Church and removed to its present position in 1814. It is inscribed 'Com. prais the Lord' 1727.