Church Of Saint Mawnan

Church of Saint Mawnan

This is a parish church with origins in the 13th century, substantially rebuilt and extended during the 15th century, and restored circa 1830 and again in 1880. The building is constructed of killas rubble with granite dressings, with granite ashlar used on the upper parts of the tower. The roofs are laid with Delabole slate and feature coped gables at the east end.

The church follows a traditional plan with a nave, chancel, west tower, and north and south aisles. The chancel dates partly from the 13th century, at least in its south wall, though it was heightened in the 19th century. The tower base is probably 14th century but was largely rebuilt or heightened with granite ashlar in the 15th century. The south aisle was enlarged and partly or entirely rebuilt in the 19th century. The north aisle is largely 15th century and retains its original windows and a carved wallplate from a former 15th-century waggon roof. Apart from this wallplate, the roofs throughout were replaced in the 15th century.

The exterior features a two-stage 15th-century west tower with a steep four-centred arched west doorway and a 15th-century window above it fitted with 19th-century Perpendicular-style tracery. A stair turret occupies the north-west corner of the tower, extending only to the lower stage. The upper stage has original two-light traceried windows with slate louvred lights. The parapet is original and embattled with crocketted corner pinnacles. The north aisle has a 19th-century pointed arched doorway and 15th-century windows, including a three-light east window and three two-light windows in the north wall, all with trefoil-head lights and quatrefoil tracery above. The cusps of the lights have bosses. The west window has 19th-century tracery. A medieval crosshead is set into this wall. The south wall of the chancel contains a 13th-century lancet window. Other windows throughout the church are 19th century and Perpendicular in style.

The interior contains features from multiple periods. Thirteenth-century elements include a foil-headed piscina with hoodmould and carved head stops in the south wall of the chancel, and a carved head at the west end of the north aisle. From the 14th century comes a pointed tower arch on moulded imposts and the tower stair. The 15th-century work includes six-bay four-centred arched arcades between the nave and chancel and the aisles. The north arcade has piers with four shafts engaged to a round centre, though the three western bays are 19th-century copies. The south arcade piers have four round shafts with fillets between them. Sections of 15th-century carved wallplate remain in the north aisle. Most other interior features date to the 19th century, including the wall plaster (19th or 20th century) and the roofs, which are arch-braced over the nave and chancel with simple waggon roofs over the aisles. The tower interior was not inspected.

The church contains several important fittings. These include a 15th-century octagonal granite font, a 15th-century fragment of the base of a former rood screen with original paint attached to the west end of the north aisle, and another similar fragment behind the pulpit. At the west end of the north wall are two strips of wood inscribed "Gilbertus Randall fecit Anno DNI: 1684". Some 19th-century coloured glass appears in the east chancel window.

Among the monuments is a 13th-century coffin slab with a floriated cross, set into the floor near the front of the church. A marble wall monument on the south wall commemorates Mary, the only daughter of the Reverend John Rogers, Rector of the parish, who died in 1827 aged 36 and was honoured by her husband.