Church Of St Crida

Church of St Crida

A parish church of 12th-century origin, extended in the mid to late 15th century. The tower was rebuilt in 1734 and the church underwent restoration in 1904 by the then Squire of Trewithen. The building is constructed of slatestone and granite rubble with granite dressings; the tower is of squared granite and elvan rubble with granite dressings. The roofs are of slate with ridge tiles and gable ends.

The original 12th-century church may have been cruciform in plan, with nave and chancel in one and north and south transepts. The north transept was probably rebuilt in the mid to late 15th century, at about the same time the south aisle and south porch were added. The west tower dates probably from the late 15th century, though it was rebuilt in 1734.

The north wall of the nave is largely concealed by the south aisle and tower, but retains a north doorway with a 2-centred arch and chamfered granite surround. The door is a plank door with grille, known as the "devil's window". To the west of the doorway is a 3-light window with 4-centred arched lights, recessed spandrels and square hood mould, dating from the 15th century.

The chancel has an east end with a 4-light window, possibly of the early 17th century, with 2 central lights that are taller than the others; all lights have 3-centred arches, hollow-chamfered with rounded arch and hood mould. To the north is a 3-light window with rectangular lights, chamfered mullions and slate dripstone, probably of the 17th century. A 2-light 19th-century window with cusped lights and square hood mould is also present, with a buttress from the 1904 restoration between. Between the chancel and north transept stands a polygonal stair tower for the rood stair.

The north transept has a 2-light 19th-century north window with cusped lights and square hood mould, and a similar 3-light 19th-century window to the east. An attached granite monument with a date of 1688 stands here, though the inscription is illegible.

The south aisle spans 6 bays, including the south porch in the second bay from the west, and stands on a moulded plinth. All south windows are 3-light Perpendicular of the 15th century, with cusped lights, 4-centred arch and hood mould. The four eastern bays have a 1904 buttress and an attached slate monument with stepped nowy head to Richard Brown, dated 1790. The western bay has an inset carved stone with urns bearing stylised flowers and a shield. The west end displays a 3-light Decorated-style window with 2-centred arch and hood mould, with a carved stone mask above. The gable is stepped and built up over a small single light. The east end has a 15th-century 4-light Perpendicular window with cusped lights, Y-tracery, 4-centred arch and hood mould.

The south porch is gabled, built of squared granite with moulded granite wall-plate and kneelers to the gable. The outer doorway has triple shafts with carved capitals. The interior has a granite paved floor and granite benches to the sides. The stone roof features a transverse vault with wall-plate and main rib rising from corbels with primitive carved masks; panels in the bays are carved with crosses. A stone block by the inner doorway bears a carved consecration cross. The inner doorway has an irregular rounded arch, hollow-moulded with relieving arch and a shallow image niche above. A gate and fine 6-panelled 18th-century door occupy this entrance.

The west tower comprises 3 stages, standing on a hollow-chamfered plinth with set-back weathered buttresses, an embattled parapet and large crocketed pinnacles. The west doorway has a 2-centred arch with roll-mouldings and hood mould, with a plank door. A slate headstone against the west wall, with nowy head, commemorates Joanna Potter, dated 1819. A tall 3-light west window consists of three 2-centred arched lancets set within a 4-centred arch with hood mould. The third stage has 3-light bell-openings of similar design with hood moulds, and lancets for the stair appear on the north side.

Internally, the walls are plastered and the floor at the east end is tiled. The nave and chancel have 19th-century wagon roofs. The south aisle and north transept have wagon roofs that retain 15th-century carved ribs and bosses and wall-plates, partly reconstructed in 1904. The tower arch is chamfered and 2-centred with shafts to the sides with convex capitals. A 4-centred arched chamfered doorway to the north opens to the stair, set above floor level.

The nave and chancel have a 5-bay arcade with Pevsner A-type piers with carved capitals. The arches in the nave are rounded; those in the chancel are 4-centred; all are moulded. The arch to the north transept is similar, with moulded piers and rounded arch. The north transept contains a 2-centred arched doorway and a corresponding upper opening above the arcade. In the east wall of the transept is a 12th-century pillar piscina with chevron carving on the pillar and a trefoil hood, the latter probably dating from circa the 14th century. Above is a fragment of medieval wall painting with Gothic script. The north wall of the nave has a carved image bracket. The north door is probably of the 18th century, with a grille or "devil's window" featuring a sliding hatch. The chancel has a piscina with trefoil arch; the south aisle has a piscina with wider trefoil arch.

Fittings include late 19th-century benches in the chancel, a 19th-century carved wooden lectern and reader's desk incorporating part of an early rood screen, and a 19th-century coffin trolley in the south aisle. A 13th-century stone font, octagonal with bowl in Catacleuse stone, stands in the south aisle; each side is decorated with 2 blind 2-centred arches, and the central stem has four outer shafts. A bell by William Cockey, dated 1726, hangs in the south aisle. An 18th-century plaster putto with wings, probably from a monument, is also present in the south aisle. A letter of thanks from Charles I, painted on board with bolection-moulded nowy-headed frame, is displayed in the south aisle. An alms box on a chamfered wooden pillar, probably 18th-century but using earlier wood, stands by the south door. Royal Arms of George IV appear in the nave within a bolection-moulded nowy-headed frame painted in faux marbre. Four boards in the tower bearing painted texts, creed and other inscriptions, painted in oil on board with good lettering, are signed by W. Smith and dated 1816.

Monuments in the chancel include a monument with convex oval slate tablet, plinth and Ionic columns with broken pediment and urn to John Hughes, dated 1749, and a marble tablet on slate ground to John Trevenen, dated 1829. In the south aisle stand a chest tomb with carved slate inscription plate and low relief shield of arms to Thomas Denys, dated 1589, and Margaret, his wife, dated 1570; a marble tablet in moulded frame with plinth on corbels and inclined painted shield of arms with helm to Robert Quarme, dated 1708, with good lettering and Latin inscription; and a marble tablet with Latin inscription to G.Q., dated 1728.

The south windows and the east window of the south aisle retain fragments of medieval glass.