Church Of Saint Paul

The Church of Saint Paul is a parish church dating back to the Norman period, with significant rebuilding in or around 1912, incorporating fabric from earlier phases. The structure includes a Norman font, a relocated Norman doorway, and a possibly Norman south wall section of the chancel. The tower was constructed in the 15th century, as were the north arcade and portions of the north aisle.

The church is built of granite ashlar to the tower and granite rubble walls elsewhere, with dressings of graphite or freestone. The roofs are dry Delabole slate, featuring coped gable ends. The plan encompasses a nave and chancel under a single roof, a 15th-century west tower, a 15th-century north aisle, and a 1912 south aisle and porch.

The 1912 restoration involved rebuilding much of the north aisle, re-establishing or entirely rebuilding the south arcade, cutting a doorway through the ancient south wall of the chancel, renewing the roofs, stripping the walls of plaster, and replacing or resetting windows.

The west tower is a virtually complete two-stage 15th-century design, with a basket-arched west doorway, a three-light window above, and louvred windows to the bell chamber. A circa 12th-century doorway was relocated around 1840. The rest of the exterior displays 1912 Perpendicular style features, with reused 15th-century window frames incorporated in some windows.

Inside, a 15th-century six-bay north arcade is present, along with a 15th-century four-centred tower arch springing from panelled octagonal responds. A basket-arched doorway leads to a blocked rood stair in the north wall. A possibly 14th-century trefoil-headed piscina is also present. Blocked, possibly 12th-century windows are visible in the south wall of the chancel. Other interior features are largely from the 1912 restoration, together with south arcades and waggon roofs.

Fittings include a 12th-century octagonal font constructed from freestone over a later shaft and base. A painted coat of arms representing Victoria, dating from 1837, is located above the doorway to the blocked rood stair. Other fittings are later 19th or 20th century.

Several monuments are of note, including a slate with carved figures of John South, Rector who died in 1637, and his family; a slate to Ann, wife of Gull Borlase, Rector, died 1772; a wall monument to Catherine, wife of Nicholas Davy, died 1635; a painted panel to the wife of RD (likely Robert Davy), died 1703; and a monument to Robert Davy, aged 55, and his wife Grace, aged 73, parents of the notable inventor Sir Humphrey Davy.