Church Of St Lalluwy

Church of St Lalluwy

Parish church, consecrated in 1293. The tower is possibly 13th century, while the main body of the church dates from the 15th century. The north aisle was built in the early 15th century and extended around the mid-15th century, possibly contemporary with the erection of the south aisle and chancel. The chancel was extended one metre to the east of the south aisle, with a further extension in 1865 during restoration. The upper stage of the tower and spire date to the late 14th or early 15th century. The building is constructed of rubblestone with slate roofs.

The church comprises a west tower with spire, a five-bay north aisle with north porch, a five-bay south aisle with south porch, nave and chancel. The west tower has two stages with set-back buttresses to the lower stage. Battlements project on a corbel table. The west door features a three-centred granite arch with roll-moulded jambs and a round-headed relieving arch above. A three-light Perpendicular west window is present. Tall, narrow one-light belfry openings have pointed heads below rectangular hoods with labels and slate louvers. The spire is octagonal, recessed, constructed of stone with a moulded cap.

The north aisle's west window is a three-light late 16th-century Perpendicular window with round-headed lights, set in an earlier partly-blocked opening. The north side displays three three-light Perpendicular windows, two to the east of the porch dating from around the 15th century beneath two-centred arches with labels, and one to the west of the porch which is a 19th-century copy. The north porch has a gabled end with a two-centred arch, possibly of Polyphant stone, with moulded arch and jambs. The inner north door has a two-centred Polyphant stone arch with deep cavetto mould, hoods and labels. To the east of the north side, a straight joint indicates extension of the north aisle. Further straight joints possibly mark the position of a rood loft stair projection, now removed. To the east, a mid-15th-century three-light Perpendicular window features a central raised light, similar to windows in the south aisle. The east windows of the north and south aisles are similar three-light Perpendicular windows with granite tracery beneath four-centred arches. The north window has been restored. The east chancel window is Perpendicular with tracery, dating to around 1865.

The south aisle has four three-light Perpendicular windows, with the east window retaining original granite tracery. The two central windows have been restored. The south door is partly altered with a two-centred chamfered granite arch. The south porch features a moulded granite four-centred arch. A sundial above the south porch door is dated 1702. The inner door has a two-centred freestone arch with hood and labels. A blocked Holy Water stoup is located to the right.

Interior: The nave, north and south aisles retain original waggon roofs with moulded ribs and carved bosses. Carved timber wall plates appear on the north side of the nave and south side of the north aisle. Traces of paint and gilding survive on bosses of the north aisle waggon roof. The original waggon roof extends to the south and north arcades with some recarved bosses. The five-bay north arcade features four-centred moulded arcade arches and Type A (Pevsner) moulded granite piers with moulded bases and banded capitals. The south arcade, possibly by local masons, displays complicated moulded four-centred arcade arches with Type A (Pevsner) moulded granite piers with cruder moulded bases and banded capitals.

19th-century furnishings include a pulpit with carved panels by Hems of Exeter, illustrating the Arctic voyage of Trelawny Jago's ship, Enterprise, in search of Sir John Franklin who had been lost at sea. The font is of Caen stone with an octagonal shaft on a square base with rounded corners, a square bowl with rounded corners, and a pyramid oak font cover dated 1916. No rood screen remains, although evidence of its position survives on the arcade piers.

Monuments include a classical marble monument in the south-east corner of the south aisle to Jonathan Trelawny of Coldrennick (died 1653) and his wife Philodea (died 1674), with a broken pediment above and heraldic arms. Directly below is a semi-circular slate memorial, possibly the top of a slate tomb to I.T., well carved and possibly late 17th century, with two putti and heraldic arms. A black marble slab on the north wall of the chancel commemorates Lud. Stephens (1724), vicar of Menheniot for 40 years. At the base of the pulpit, a brass inscription set in the floor, dated around 1386, commemorates Sir Ralph Carmynow, reputed to be the earliest brass in Cornwall. On the north side of the north wall is a memorial to Edward Trelawny, Dean of Exeter (died 1726), in classical style. A tablet to Lady Charlotte Carr is by M. Eames of Exeter. A letter of King Charles to Cornwall is displayed on the north wall over the north door.

The church has six bells, re-hung, with the first cast in the 18th century. A weather vane on the spire was presented by Darell Trelawny, High Sheriff of Cornwall, and was fixed in July 1781. William of Wykeham was instituted at Menheniot in 1365. In 1965, the dedication reverted from St Antoninus to St Lalluwy.