Truro Cathedral

Truro Cathedral

Cathedral built from 1880. Designed by John Loughborough Pearson; the eastern parts were constructed before his death in 1897. The nave, central tower and western towers were completed according to the original design by his son Frank Lloyd Pearson between 1895 and 1910. The early 16th-century south aisle of the former parish church of St Mary has been incorporated as St Mary's Aisle.

The exterior walls are of dressed granite from Mabe with Bath stone used for details. The interior features dressed granite from St Stephen, columns and arcades of Bath stone, and decorations in serpentine from the Lizard, marble and other contrasting materials. The roofs are of dry Delabole slate with stone spires and turret roofs, and a copper spire over the bell tower at the west end of St Mary's Aisle.

The cathedral plan comprises a west narthex flanked by corner towers, an eight-bay nave with aisles, and a two-storey south porch at the west end of the aisle. The crossing has a tower and flanking two-bay transepts, flat to the south with a square annexe adjoining a round baptistry to the west. A south transept porch adjoins the east bell tower. St Mary's Aisle extends to the south of the ambulatory, with a five-bay choir above the crypt, one-bay east transepts and a two-bay sanctuary flanked by chapels. The design employs Early English style with spires of Normandy type and a strong emphasis on verticality.

St Mary's Aisle, of six bays in Perpendicular style, has enriched panel carving to a two-tier plinth with crenellated parapet, quatrefoils to plinth and parapet and mouchettes to spandrels. Canopied niches occupy the corners of the east gable, which features a five-light Perpendicular window. Each bay is articulated by a pair of slender crocketed pinnacles framing a niche with a pedestal shaft for a statue. Each four-light window is grouped into two paired Y-tracery windows set in a basket arch; the second bay from the east has a basket-arched doorway.

The 19th-century church features moulded capitals to engaged shafts of lancet and plate-tracery windows, offset buttresses with weathered tops and a trefoil-headed frieze beneath the parapet. The east gable has a wheel window set above a trefoil frieze and three large lancets to two tiers, flanked by corner buttresses with open octagonal turrets. Two-light plate-tracery windows light the sanctuary, above chapels with a group of four linked lancets to north and south walls. These walls have lucarnes to corner buttresses crowned by octagonal turrets with pierced quatrefoils. A wheel window and four linked lancets set in an arch with shafts appear on the south gable, and a wheel window above paired lancets on the north gable. Similar two-light plate-tracery windows light the choir and nave, both of which have flying buttresses to the aisles, those to the nave featuring arcades of lancets separated by buttresses.

Similar windows and octagonal turrets appear to the main transepts, which are dominated to north and south by great rose windows, flat to the north above an arcade of lancets and flat to the south above an enriched portal with figure sculpture. The bell tower has clasping corner buttresses, a pyramidal roof and a pair of tall two-light transomed windows to each face of the belfry.

The crossing tower rises in two stages above the body of the church, with three tall two-light windows to each face, taller in the second stage. A pierced parapet with tiers of lancets extends to octagonal pinnacles and two-light windows to lucarnes at the base of the spire. The baptistry has grouped lancets and quatrefoils to a pierced parapet.

Similar treatment appears on the four-stage west towers with spires which flank the west front and have triple arcades of tall lancets to tall buttresses with spirelets. These flank the west gable, which features enriched detail and sculpture above a great arch on two orders of shafts framing a recessed bay with a rose window above an arcade of four lancets. An elaborate narthex with figure sculpture and engaged shafts to two portals completes the composition.

The interior is richly detailed throughout with vaulting and engaged shafts with capitals to rere arches. The arcade piers have clustered shafts, moulded capitals and inner vaulting shafts continued to meet corbels on the piers. The triforium has an unusual design of four lancets and two quatrefoil circles under an arch to each bay, the choir having additional quatrefoils and enriched dog-tooth carving. Two double lancets with a walkway appear to each bay of the triforium, also featuring enriched carving to the choir. Three rows of arcades on the north side of the choir connect to St Mary's Aisle, which has standard A-type arcades and an early 16th-century waggon roof with carved wall plates and ribs. The tower lantern has a radiating vault on a square plan. The baptistry features a groined vault with clustered wall shafts and a centre boss. A groined crypt with chamfered ribs sits beneath the choir. The nave has sexpartite vaulting in French style, with quadripartite vaulting to the rest of the church. Walkways give access to freestanding wall arcades.

Principal fittings include a stone reredos by Pearson with tiers of canopied figure sculpture and a Majesty above a central Crucifixion surrounded by Old Testament scenes. A wooden altar by Pearson features a marble top and arcaded sides. The sanctuary is enclosed by stone side screens with richly-canopied Decorated-style sedilia, also by Pearson. The choir to the west is enclosed by wrought-iron screens and has a marble mosaic floor with ancient porphyry, a teak Bishop's Throne with a richly-carved canopy and flanking simpler chaplains' seats, and choir stalls canopied to the rear, all by Pearson. An altar frontal chest of 1887, a 16th-century poor box, and a reredos painting of Christ blessing Cornish industry in the north aisle are also present. A large brass eagle lectern and a pulpit by Pearson with an upper tier enriched by figure sculpture set in ogee-headed canopied niches complete the furnishings. A red marble font with a canopied cover is positioned in the baptistry, which has a similar marble floor to the choir. A west gallery is set on two pointed arches with figure sculpture set in canopied niches to the spandrels and a trefoil-headed panelled parapet. A 16th-century octagonal freestone font and an 18th-century octagonal walnut and mahogany font are also retained.

Principal monuments include two kneeling alabaster figures of circa 1620 in the crypt. A monument of 1614 to Richard Robartes and his wife features double columns to the sides and small figures of Death and Father Time. A brass commemorates Edward White Benson, first Bishop of Truro from 1877 to 1882. A large canopied aedicule with two reclining effigies on shelves commemorates Richard Robartes, died 1614. Tablets in the north transept honour the Vivian family. A slate headstone to Owen Phippen, died 1636, records his adventures in Turkey. Monuments to Richard Hoblyn, died 1714, and Francis Burges, died 1684, and his wife Anne, died 1688, are also present.

The stained glass is by Clayton and Bell except for glass to the south side of St Mary's Aisle of the 1840s by Warrington.

Cornwall was linked with Devon as part of the Exeter diocese from 1050 until 1876, when the Cornish see was revived.