Church Of St Gomonda

Church of St Gomonda

Parish church, originally 14th century but largely rebuilt in the mid 15th century. In 1822 it was substantially altered for the Reverend Thomas Fisher, with later modifications probably affecting the south porch. A restoration was undertaken in 1890 by J. D. Sedding, with further work proposed in 1900 though not fully executed.

The building is constructed in squared granite and granite rubble with granite dressings. The roof is slate with ridge coping tiles and raised coped verges to the north transept. The plan comprises a west tower, nave and south aisle, north transept, chancel and south porch. The north transept is said to stand on Norman foundations but was largely rebuilt in the 14th century. The tower dates from the 15th century. In 1822, the nave, chancel and south aisle were rebuilt, the south arcade was removed and the east front was formed as a single gable end. Probably after this time, the south porch was rebuilt. Sedding's 1890 restoration reinstated the arcade between the south aisle and nave and renewed the roofs. A proposal for a vestry in 1900 was not built, though a doorway through the east wall of the transept was added.

The church is in the Perpendicular style. The three-stage tower stands on a moulded plinth with set-back weathered buttresses rising to an embattled parapet with polygonal corners, each supported by a carved figure or mask. There are no pinnacles. String courses run to each stage. The west doorway has a four-centred arch with roll-mouldings and recessed spandrels, a square head with hood mould and square stops, and a plain 19th-century door. Above this is a four-light 15th-century Perpendicular window with Y tracery and cusped lights, hood mould and relieving arch. The top stage has a three-light bell-opening to each side with four-centred arch, cusped lights, upper tracery, slate louvres and hood mould. A clock is positioned at the second stage on the east and north faces.

The three-bay nave has no plinth and two north windows of 1822 with four-centred arches and intersecting tracery. The north transept is a single bay with a gable end to the north with cross finial, and one similar early 19th-century window in the north gable end. A stair descends to a cellar to the west via a four-centred arched doorway with hollow-chamfer and studded door. A 19th-century east doorway with pointed arch is also present. The south aisle is of six bays with raised coped verges and cross finial. Its windows are of 1822 with intersecting tracery, and a porch occupies the second bay from the west. The east gable end has a window of 1890, copied from the tower west window, with four lights, cusped lights and Y tracery with hood mould. The gabled south porch has raised coped verges and cross finial on a plinth. The outer doorway is four-centred with chamfering, fitted with cast iron gates with diamond finials. The inner doorway is a tall four-centred arch with roll-moulding and hood mould, much rebuilt, with 19th-century studded double doors. The porch has a granite floor and 19th-century arched-brace roof. The chancel has a large east window of 1890 with six lights, cusped lights, Y tracery and hood mould with angel stops, and a cross finial.

Interior

A tall four-centred arch opens to the tower, which has a north-west door to the stair, hollow-chamfered with a 19th-century studded door. The stair is a stone newel stair. The tower arch has triple shafts to the sides with a concave moulding between each shaft, and three orders of mouldings to the arch, convex and concave. The nave and chancel are in one space, with a wagon roof of 1890 ceiled over the chancel; a similar roof covers the south aisle. The south arcade is of six bays in Polyphant with standard A-type piers and lightly Tudor arched heads. A plain four-centred chamfered arch opens to the north transept, and at upper level to the east of the arch is the rood stair door, hollow-chamfered with a four-centred arch and step stops. Two steps remain at upper level on the north transept side. The north transept also has a 19th-century roof.

Fittings

A fine late 12th-century Bodmin-type font in Pentewan stone is positioned in the south aisle. It consists of a large bowl on a central stem with four corner shafts with bases. The shafts end in carved angels' heads, much restored with one angel replaced. The bowl features interlaced snakes under a chevron rim. In the nave is a pulpit, probably by Sedding, in Polyphant on a plinth with a flight of steps. Oil-on-canvas royal arms hang over the south door, probably dating from around 1800. A slate monument in the north transept bears an incised nowy head with a central cherub's head with wings, crossed bones to the left and a skull to the right. It carries a Latin inscription and English verses, commemorating Richard Treweeke, rector of the parish, 1732.

The dedication is also referred to as St Gonandus or St Gomond.