Church Of St Pynnochus

Church of St Pynnochus

A parish church of Norman cruciform origin, substantially rebuilt and modified over several centuries. The tower was rebuilt in the late 14th century, followed by circa 15th-century rebuilding of the nave. In the latter half of the 15th century the north transept was demolished and a south aisle with a 4-bay arcade was erected. A porch was added circa 16th century. The building underwent major restoration in 1881–2 by the Plymouth architects Hine and Odgers, during which the south transept was rebuilt and part of the east end was renewed.

The church is constructed of rubble stone with granite dressings. The tower features snecked stone, as does the 19th-century work in the chancel. Ashlar snecked stone was used in the 19th-century rebuilding of the south transept. A moulded plinth runs to the tower, with a simple plinth to the nave broken by the south transept; the plinth dies out to the east of the priest's door where it was rebuilt. A simple plinth also runs to the north aisle. The roof is of slate, with the nave and chancel unified under a continuous roof. The 4-bay north aisle does not extend the full length of the nave.

Windows include an east window of 4 lights with Perpendicular 19th-century tracery and reused jambs, topped with a 4-centred arch, hoods and 19th-century carved drips. A 3-light 19th-century Perpendicular window with hoods sits to the nave east of the porch in its original opening. A 19th-century lancet appears in the west window of the south transept, accompanied by a 19th-century 4-light Perpendicular window under a 4-centred arch with some reused tracery to the south and a 19th-century 3-light window to the east of the south transept. The south wall of the chancel contains a 3-light 19th-century window under a 4-centred arch. The north wall of the chancel has a 4-light Perpendicular window in a wide 2-centred arch with hood and carved drips. The south aisle features four 3-light Perpendicular windows with hoods and plain drips under wide 2-centred arches, with tracery partly restored. A 3-light west window in the north aisle has 19th-century tracery under a 4-centred arch.

The tower rises in three stages with crenellations, pinnacles and crocketed finials surmounted by iron crosses. Angle buttresses set back on the north and south faces provide structural support. The west door has a wide 2-centred arch, partly recarved with chamfered jambs and a pyramid stop to the right-hand jamb; a hood mould with plain drips crowns the opening. The belfry openings on all four faces feature 3 lights with cusped heads beneath rectangular hood moulds and drips, with pointed relieving arches behind. A projecting staircase turret of three canted sides occupies the north face; a battlemented cornice has been removed from the tower top. The south porch is gabled with a rounded arched opening with cavetto-moulded jambs and slate barge-boards. The south door is set within a basket granite arch with stone voussoirs and a cavetto-moulded frame with plain stops.

Interior

The arcade consists of 4 bays of granite type A piers (as categorized by Pevsner) with carved capitals of Pentewan stone. The nave, north aisle and porch are roofed with waggon roofs featuring moulded ribs and a moulded stone wall plate. These have been partly restored with new bosses carved by Mr Moutrie of Tavistock. A tall tower arch of 2-centred form with chamfered jambs separates the tower from the nave. The south transept arch is plastered and partly restored. Late 19th-century furnishings include screens and a pulpit by Messrs Hems of Exeter. The chancel was panelled in 1943–4.

The church contains an unusual Norman font of granite, featuring a circular bowl carved with long-eared heads and arms on corbelled corners, set on an octagonal shaft. A piscina sits on the south side of the east end of the north aisle beneath a basket arch. The floor tiles are by Maw and Co, increasing in ornamentation towards the east end.

Memorials include a slate stone memorial behind the organ in the east end of the north aisle to Ames Coplestone (died 1629) and Jane, daughter of Emmanuel Ganbe (died 1629), and a memorial to John Collier, gent, with heraldic arms. On the exterior of the chancel wall is a slate stone memorial with heraldic arms in roundels to Thomas Hockin, who died in 1767. The church contains 4 bells, recast in 1803 with inscriptions.

The church was built into a prehistoric tumulus, with the remainder forming the churchyard.