Church Of St Michael

Church of St Michael

This parish church stands on the site of a 12th-century church destroyed by fire in 1729. The present building was constructed between 1756 and 1761 to designs by Thomas Edwards. It was restored in 1837–38 by George Wightwick of Greenwich, working for Francis, Earl of Godolphin.

The church is built of elvan ashlar with granite dressings, including the plinth, quoins, window dressings, parapets and copings. The tower is of granite ashlar, and the roofs are covered in dry Delabole slate. The plan is rectangular and aisleless, with a chancel, an organ extension in the north-east angle, a west tower, a central south porch, and a small central north chapel. The church rises to two storeys, with the tower comprising three stages.

The design exemplifies mid-Georgian classical church architecture, though the Gothic-style tower incorporates classical features. The north and south elevations display a 2:1:1 arrangement of bays, each containing round-arched windows over windows with flat arches, all fitted with leaded glass. The south porch has rusticated buttresses and quadrant front corners, with round-arched windows featuring wooden glazing bars and fanlight heads, and a pair of 19th-century bolection-moulded panelled doors. The north chapel has recessed quadrant rear corners and a round-arched north window, with a round-headed church window above. Two blocked windows appear at the west end.

The tower features Y-traceried two-light windows to the upper stage above lunettes to the second stage. The south lunette is fitted with a clockface inscribed "John Hawkins Esq. Mayor 1793". The round-arched west doorway has rustication and early 20th-century doors. A small north doorway at higher level is approached by a flight of granite steps from the north with a ramped wrought-iron handrail. The chancel has an elliptically-arched east window.

The interior has plastered walls and a high ceiling with a deep cove over moulded cornices interrupted by an arcade of round arches. The flat ceiling surface is divided by moulded bands into panels, with the central panel an oval featuring richly carved arabesques. The chancel ceiling is barrel-vaulted with a moulded band and arabesque. The porch has a moulded cornice. A gallery at the west end has a lozenge-panelled front over panelled pilasters, with a panelled doorway into the tower featuring concentric panels arranged around a round arch.

Original fittings include a leaded window depicting the Resurrection in a panel above the south door, and oak-grained box pews in the gallery. The remaining pews are late 19th-century pitch-pine with shaped ends. An octagonal freestone and marble arcaded font stands on a stepped base inset with patterned tiles. A brass communion rail is present. The reredos is tripartite mosaic, with the central panel depicting The Last Supper. The organ and oak choir stalls feature Gothic tracery.

Monuments include brasses mounted on wood in a frame to Thomas Bovgins of Helston, merchant (died 1602), in the chapel; a wall marble in the south wall of the chancel to Humphry Millet Grylls of Bosahan (died 1834, aged 45); a marble cartouche with cherubs to Cock (died 1764); and a marble panel flanked by tall consoles to George Simon Borlase Esq., FRS, Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Cornwall (1792–1837). The south wall also displays a marble urn on casket to John Rogers Esq. of Antron Lodge, Parish of Sithney (died 1821, aged 65); a marble plaque by James of Helston to Henry Penberthy (died 1783, aged 64), who left a bequest to aid the poor of the Parish of Helston; and monuments to two members of the Borlase family: John (died 1845, aged 80) and Henry (died 1846, aged 82). Further monuments include a marble casket to Peter Hill of Carwythenack, Parish of Constantine, Commander RN (died 1818, aged 65), and a cartouche to Robert Hooker (died 1775, aged 57).