Crantock, St. Carantoc Church

Crantock is a pleasant little village to the south of Newquay; I have described and pictured it on my Towns and Villages page. Its 14th and 15th century church, dedicated to St. Carantoc stands on an ancient holy site: this was a monastic site in Saxon times and a church stood here as early as 1086. As I approached the church, past the Old Albion Inn and Lychgate Cottage and through the lych gate into the churchyard, the first thing I noticed was a plethora of memorial crosses; to my disappointment, there was not a single old Cornish Cross among them. The next thing I noticed was a crucifixion scene set into the gable of the south transept, more usual, I would have thought, in a Catholic church than an Anglican. Inside, you would swear you were in an original medieval church; you would be paying a compliment to the skill and artistry of architect J H Sedding who restored the church at the turn of the 19th century. Most striking feature of the interior is the rood screen and rood, behind and above them the striking chancel and colourful ceiling. The seating in the quire is finely carved as is the pulpit and carved bench ends are also notable. The font is in the Norman style but probably of the 15th century. On the wall of the south transept is a painted wooden panel, probably 17th century Dutch and depicting Abraham. Most stained glass is early 20th century but in the sacristy there are fragments of medieval glass.

St. Carantoc's Church

The Rood Screen