Church Of St Keverne

Parish church of St Keverne, a substantial medieval building with significant early 15th-century work and later modifications. The building is constructed of rubble stone with slate roofs, except for the west tower and spire which are of ashlar granite.

The church was built in phases over two centuries. The north-west corner of the north aisle dates to circa the late 13th century, with the north aisle continued eastwards during the 14th and early 15th centuries. The west tower was constructed circa the early 15th century, with its spire built in 1450. The north arcade follows the early 15th-century tower, while the south arcade dates to the same period. The chancel is circa late 15th century, though its east wall was partly reconstructed in the 19th century. The south porch dates to circa the 16th century. The spire was damaged by lightning in 1770 and subsequently rebuilt. Part of the south aisle was rebuilt in the 19th century and two windows were renewed. The church was comprehensively restored in 1893.

The plan comprises a nave and chancel in one, with 8-bay north and south aisles that do not quite extend the full length. The aisles extend westward to flank the west tower. The east window was rebuilt in 1898 with 3-light Perpendicular tracery. The north aisle features a 1-light lancet window on the west side with a 2-centred arch over a doorway, complete with hood mould and roll-moulded jambs. It contains one 3-light Perpendicular window with cusped heads and three 4-light Perpendicular windows, with 2 early buttresses and 2 later buttresses. The east windows of both north and south aisles are 5-light Perpendicular.

The south aisle has a priest's door with segmental arch, two 4-light Perpendicular windows renewed in the late 19th century, one 3-light window, and one 4-light 15th-century Perpendicular window (the western window is blocked but visible from inside). The south door is 15th-century with a 4-centred moulded arch flanked by shields at the spring points, with banded voussoirs. A later 18th-century panelled south door exists, with a modern figure in an ogee-headed niche above. The gabled south porch contains a stoup in the east wall and stone benches flanking the internal walls, with a rounded stone arch.

West windows to both aisles feature checker voussoirs to 2-centred arches. The north aisle window is 3-light Reticulated tracery of circa early 14th century, possibly reset. The south aisle window is 3-light Perpendicular tracery.

The west tower is battlemented and unbuttressed, divided into 2 stages with a moulded plinth and strings. It features a serpentine west doorway with checker surround, a 4-centred arch with hood mould and serpent heads in label stops, and quatrefoils in the spandrels with 4 shields at the spring point. Within is a small barrel-vaulted vestibule with stone benches and west doorway, topped by a tall serpentine west window with checker voussoirs and 3-light belfry openings with slate louvres on each side. A 2-faced clock was added in 1907. The tower is crowned by an octagonal ribbed spire with quatrefoils.

The interior contains a long nave with a north arcade of type-A (Pevsner) piers comprising multi-coloured stone piers with shields in the corners of capitals and square bases. Three rood stairs are set into the north wall. The south arcade piers are of unusual section. The abaci of the chancel arcade indicate a late 15th-century date. Contemporary waggon roofs cover the north and south aisles and the nave and chancel, restored in 1893. The roof over the north aisle is much repaired at the west end. The chancel roof is slightly painted. Carved bosses, ribs, and arcade plate with traces of ancient colour survive over the east end of both aisles.

Tower arches open into the nave and flanking aisles, with pointed arches of granite on plain rounded capitals.

The church retains some early 16th-century oak bench ends on later benches, comprising 2 panels with cusped heads over decorative motifs such as shields and initials, with banded and intertwined foliage and quatrefoils below, topped by pyramid stops. The font dates to circa the 15th century and is of granite with a late serpentine curved shaft on a square granite base. Figures at the corners hold shields and crossed swords with initials between. An octagonal pulpit of circa the 17th century is carved with panels and has a renewed base. Two 17th-century cupboards are decorated with angel heads and cherubs as caryatids. A wall painting of St Christopher on the north wall dates to circa the 15th century.

A monument on the south wall commemorates George Tregosse Lale, Merchant (1710), featuring a broken round pediment with shields and heraldic arms, with some colour remaining.

Between 1235 and 1538, the Abbots of Beaulieu were patrons of the church.