Church Of St Constantine

Church of St Constantine

This is a parish church of major importance, originally built in the 12th century but substantially rebuilt between circa 1420 and 1480. The building underwent extensive restoration and repair from 1859 to 1901, including a significant chancel rebuild in 1862 by J.P. St. Aubyn.

The church is constructed of granite ashlar with slate roofs and 19th-century crested red clay ridge tiles. Reused Norman fragments visible in the east and west ends of the south aisle confirm the existence of a 12th-century church on the site. The 15th-century rebuilding proceeded in phases: the five-bay south aisle and south porch were added first around 1420, followed by the west tower and the seven-bay north aisle extending the full length to the chancel end. The south aisle was then extended eastward by one bay, and finally around 1480 the three-bay Bosahan Aisle was added to the east end of the north aisle's north side, coinciding with the insertion of the rood screen.

Exterior features include a chamfered plinth and wall plate throughout, with slender buttresses with set-offs on all sides except the chancel. Gable ends have plain granite coping, and stone crosses crown the east gables of the north aisle and Bosahan aisle. The south side displays five granite Perpendicular windows of three lights, with a polygonal rood stair turret positioned between the two easternmost windows. The large four-light east window has intersecting Perpendicular tracery and a hoodmould, while a small three-light Perpendicular window sits to the west. Above this western window is a reused section of circa 12th-century chevron moulding, with another piece visible in the internal jamb of the east window. A rainwater head on the south side is dated 1879.

The 15th-century south porch is buttressed with truncated shafts above the buttresses and a moulded plinth course. Its doorway features a four-centred arch with broken tracery, panelled polygonal responds, and a canopied image niche above.

The north aisle contains three three-light windows with 19th-century limestone Perpendicular tracery, while the west window retains granite Perpendicular tracery. The north doorway has a chamfered two-centred arch with plain spandrels and pyramid stops, leading to a reconstructed shallow porch with unmoulded jambs, a chamfered lintel, and a trefoil-headed niche above. One of the two buttresses on the north aisle displays a carved head at its top; the other is jug-shaped.

The Bosahan aisle at the east end features two three-light Perpendicular windows with 19th-century limestone tracery and a two-centred arch three-light window with possibly reused late 14th-century intersecting cusped tracery in granite. Its north doorway has a chamfered segmental arch, with the weathering of the flanking buttresses continued above to form a canopy.

The chancel, rebuilt in 1862, features a large 19th-century three-light Perpendicular style east window and a 19th-century three-light south window.

The west tower is a particularly fine structure built in granite ashlar across three stages with a moulded plinth, weathered strings at each stage, and a cornice with a lozenge pattern in its soffit. Set-back buttresses have carved heads at their tops and pinnacles below the parapets. Large square pinnacles over each corner display panelled sides and crocketted finials. The top stage has three-light Perpendicular bell-openings on each side with pierced slate baffles. The four-light west window features Perpendicular panel tracery, while the west doorway of elvan has finely moulded two-centred arch with trailing vine carving between the mouldings and carved head stops at the base of the jambs. The hoodmould has carved stops and a carved head in the voussour above. This doorway appears earlier than the 15th century. Window slits to the stair are visible in the north west corner of the tower.

Interior

The walls have been stripped of plaster. Most window rear-arches are unchamfered granite. All roofs were replaced in the late 19th century (documented 1878) and feature arch-braced collars with wind-braces; the principals over the chancel-nave division are coupled to form a ceilure.

The six-bay south arcade comprises double hollow-chamfered two-centred arches and monolithic Pevsner A type granite piers. The seven-bay north arcade and three-bay Bosahan aisle arcade are similar but use Pevsner B-type piers. Although the rood screen has been removed, the arcade spandrels remain pierced. The rood stair turret on the south side has a two-centred chamfered arch doorway with pyramid stops.

The tall tower arch has roll-moulded responds and angel corbels with shields at the springing of the chamfered and bead-moulded two-centred arch. A small chamfered two-centred arch piscina sits at the east end of the north aisle. On the south side of the sanctuary is an empty four-centred arch effigy niche. The sanctuary floor features late 19th-century encaustic tiles, with a late 19th-century marble and mosaic reredos, Gothic style altar table, and altar rail with wrought iron stanchions.

The fielded panel box pews appear to date from mid-19th century and remain largely intact, except for the north and south sides of the north and south aisles which have 20th-century oak pews, and the west end of the nave where the benches are late 19th-century. The choir stalls are 20th-century. The carved wooden eagle lectern and octagonal pulpit with traceried panels are both circa early 20th-century, as is the square granite font.

A small section of wainscot from the rood screen is preserved in the Bosahan aisle, featuring unusual floral carving. A chest in the church retains some finely carved early 16th-century panels of Renaissance influence. Three bells were recast by Thomas Mears of London in 1809.

Monuments and Memorials

A slate wall monument on the south side of the chancel commemorates Thomas Perry, died 1734. The Bosahan aisle contains a small alabaster wall monument with a segmental pediment and slate tablet to Jane Penticost, died 1597, with a small brass below to John Pendarves, died 1616.

Marble wall monuments include one with an urn to William Nicholls, died 1803, by Isbell of Truro, and another to John Nicholls, died 1788, with a swaged urn.

On the sanctuary floor lies a fine brass to Richard Greyrveys, died 1574, and his wife Jane (Trefusis), featuring figures of their 16 children, family arms and an inscription. This brass is a palimpsest; the reverse side bears 14th-century Flemish work with a knight in armour.

Stained Glass

Medieval stained glass fragments appear in the tracery of the west window of the tower. The large stained glass east window commemorates Edward Rogers, died 1859. A circa mid-19th-century stained glass window adorns the south side of the chancel. The window in the east end of the north aisle is in memory of Jane Peter, died 1870. The east window of the south aisle contains some 20th-century stained glass. The westernmost window on the south side of the south aisle commemorates Jonathan and Jane Mayne, 1860.