Church Of Saint Germoe

Church of Saint Germoe

Parish church. The building is possibly of pre-Norman origin with a 12th century font. Parts of the south wall may also date to the 12th century, whilst the chancel, south transept and porch probably belong to the 13th or 14th centuries. The church was substantially remodelled and extended in the 15th century with the addition of a west tower, north aisle and north transept. Some re-roofing occurred in 1860 and the church underwent restoration in 1891. The structure is built of granite ashlar for the tower and granite rubble elsewhere, with granite dressings for windows, doorways and copings. The roofs are covered in scantle slate with coped gable ends. A Gothic style 19th century bellcote sits over the rood position, and a large embattled stone lateral stack rises over the west wall of the north transept vestry.

The original plan was probably a simple nave and chancel, becoming cruciform in the 13th or 14th centuries with the addition of north and south transepts and a south porch. In the 15th century, the north wall and transept were demolished and replaced with a north aisle, new north transept (now used as a vestry) and the west tower. The 19th century brought multiple periods of repair including substantial re-roofing around 1860 and a restoration in 1891 that likely included new gable copings to the east, west and north gables and a new chancel east window. The roofs were further repaired and reslated around 1950 to 1952.

The west tower is a complete 15th century structure of three stages without buttresses, with strings dividing each diminishing stage and an embattled parapet featuring crocketted corner pinnacles. The west doorway is complex with a moulded four-centred arch and a square hoodmould with carved oak leaf label stops. Above this is a three-light traceried window. The second stage is blind, whilst the upper stage contains a three-light traceried window with lowered or pierced slate lights. Under the parapet are two carved gargoyles on each side, with panelled pinnacles rising from carved angel corbels.

The north aisle contains original 15th century Perpendicular windows; those in the gable ends have tracery and sit within four-centred arches. The windows are three-light except for a four-light east window. The north wall has one window to the left of the north transept and two windows with a doorway between on the right. The doorway is moulded with a steep four-centred arch and retains an 18th century door. The north transept displays a 15th century four-light traceried window in its gable end and some reused 13th or 14th century trefoil-headed tracery in the wall below.

The chancel gable projects beyond the north aisle gable and features a 19th century Perpendicular style three-light traceried window over four blind panels, with the central light being wider.

The south wall is blank to the left of the porch. Between the porch and south transept is a curious probable 14th century three-light flat-headed window with trefoil-headed lights and quatrefoils in the tracery. To the right of the south transept is a single light 13th or 14th century window with a trefoil head. The south transept and south porch retain their original probable 14th century gable copings. The transept gable window is 14th century with a flat head and three Moorish arched lights, possibly remodelled, with a 15th century square hoodmould and relieving arch above. The east wall contains a 14th century two-light window with trefoil-headed lights. The west wall has a single light window with a possibly 12th century round-arched head. The porch retains its original carved kneeler stones and gable crucifix; the kneelers are thought to represent long-tailed monkeys. The porch doorway and inner doorway of the south wall are probably 14th century, moulded with pointed arches. Stone benches sit at the side of the porch and the inner wall plaster has been stripped to reveal a few ancient stone fragments.

Interior features include 12th century carved heads and 13th or 14th century heads in the south transept. The two-bay arcade between the nave and south transept has a probable 14th century east impost (the rest is 19th century Perpendicular style). A 13th or 14th century trefoil-headed holy water stoup sits to the left of the south doorway, with an original granite ring hanging to its right. The tower arch is 15th century with a four-centred moulded form over moulded imposts. A four-bay 15th century standard A (following Pevsner's classification) arcade runs between the nave/chancel and north aisle with moulded stilted arches. A 15th century four-centred arch spans between the north aisle and north transept over standard A imposts. A 15th century four-centred arched doorway provides access to a granite newel stair leading to the former rood, positioned to the east of the north transept arch; the transept is slightly offset eastward to accommodate the stair turret. Evidence remains for a probable 15th century priests' doorway in the south wall of the chancel. The north aisle's 15th century east window retains carved granite to its intrados. The 19th century collar rafter roofs incorporate carved fragments of former 15th century waggon roofs. The chancel roof, dating to around 1850, features panelled polygonal vault construction and appears originally to have been taller than the nave roof. The windows mostly contain 19th century coloured Ambetti glass with some 20th century replacement. 19th century sedilia and a piscina are present in the chancel. The church walls have been stripped of plaster, repointed and painted in the 20th century.

The church contains various fittings of historical interest. An 11th century font has an irregular round bowl with three carved heads over a round shaft carried on a possibly reused pier base. A 12th century font bowl with cable moulding lies in the south transept. A 17th century oak table serves as the altar. 18th century painted wall text boards remain. The tower contains three bells dated 1753, bearing a bell-shaped founder's mark and two with the initials AR. A pulpit dates to around the early 20th century. A memorial to James Plomer Lemon, church warden (died 1887) and his wife Henrietta (died 1903), was erected by their only son James Frederick Lemon.

The Church of Saint Germoe is unusual in Cornwall for retaining some 14th century architectural features. However, the 15th century tower and other 15th century elements are also particularly fine. The south gable copings and the carved monkey corbels are of special interest.