Church Of St Paternus

Parish church. The present building is largely a 15th-century reconstruction of an earlier Norman church, with significant later medieval additions. It was restored and the north aisle rebuilt in 1889 by G Fellow Prynne, and the west end was further restored in 1897.

The church is constructed from dressed Polyphant stone with granite dressings. The south porch is of granite ashlar. Roofs are slate with granite coped gable ends topped with crosses at the apices and pierced ridge tiles. Late 19th-century cast iron gutters and drain pipes are fitted throughout.

The plan comprises a nave and chancel in one continuous space, with six-bay full-length north and south aisles, north and south porches, and a west tower. Traces of the Norman predecessor are evident in the Norman respond at the west end of the north arcade and the Norman north doorway. The tower arch and west doorway date to around the 14th century, and a plinth at the east end of the chancel predates the 15th-century rebuilding. The north porch appears to date from the 16th century, though it incorporates Norman elements.

The exterior features a cavetto-moulded granite wall plate and plinth. The north and south aisles have granite four-centred arch perpendicular windows with hoodmoulds; the north aisle windows are of late 19th-century date. The south aisle contains a small rood stair turret in the second bay from the east. Similar windows appear at the west end. The east windows and chancel east windows are of four lights with intersecting panel tracery. A late 19th-century priests' doorway on the north side sits in a weathered projection.

The south porch is of granite ashlar with a moulded three-centred arch decorated with quartefoil pendrels and a label. The north porch has a moulded four-centred outer doorway with labels, with the doorway set within a Norman round arch with billet moulding and scalloped capitals to missing shafts. Inside, over the outer doorway is an early carved corbel, and beside the inner doorway stands a small Norman stoup carved with palm and waterleaf—the only Norman stoup surviving in Cornwall.

The tall west tower rises in three diminishing stages with set-back buttresses and set-offs. A square stair tower sits at the north-east corner. The tower features moulded battlements, an octagonal crenellated crown with pinnacles bearing small cross finials. Two-light perpendicular bell-openings occupy all sides of the top stage. The middle stage carries clock faces. The lower stage has a large two-centred perpendicular west window with intersecting tracery over a moulded two-centred arch west doorway.

The interior is floored with late 19th-century quarry tiles. Walls are plastered, and granite windows have chamfered rear arches. The six-bay north and south arcades feature peumery type A piers in the south arcade, whilst the north arcade employs type B piers except for the two eastern bays which use type A. The piers are of granite with moulded capitals and double-chamfered arches. There is no chancel arch. A tall tower arch with a deeply moulded two-centred arch and shafts terminates the space, with moulded capitals to the responds. The west bay of the north arcade retains a Norman respond, square with chamfered corners, bar stops and imposts. An unmoulded three-centred arch frames the rood stair doorway (the rood screen is missing). A single three-centred arch chamfered piscina is located in the south wall.

Wagon roofs, ceiled with boards, support late 19th-century benches. Early 20th-century choir stalls reuse medieval covered panels on the front. The late 19th-century altar table, reredos and altar rail date from around 1901, with a tower screen constructed from reused rood screen material. A lectern is made from reused late 16th- or early 17th-century panelling. A fine octagonal carved pulpit, dated 1631, features linenfold panels, a carved baluster stem, and caryatid soffit ribs. The font dates to the 12th century and has four detached octagonal shafts. Royal Arms of James I, painted on board, hang in the south aisle. The organ is a 20th-century instrument by Heard and Sons of Truro.

The church contains numerous monuments. On the south wall is a finely carved slate to Chevity Probat (d. 1676), an aedicule with Ionic columns and a scrolled pediment bearing the arms of Ambrose Manaton of Trecarrell (d. 1561). A cartouche commemorates Reverend Jones Couch Morgan (d. 1808) and is signed "cut by Jno Deacon Milton Abbot". A marble Neo-classical draped tomb honours Captain Charles Morgan RM (d. 1849).

The stained glass includes an 1868 memorial in the east window and a memorial to Proctor Thomas Pulman (d. 1938) in the south aisle east window. A late 19th- or early 20th-century south aisle window depicts the Last Supper. Other windows contain plain stained glass panes, though the tracery of the east window of the south aisle preserves two reused 15th-century shields.

The tower houses six bells, which were rehung in 1897 when a sixth bell was added.