Eval
St. Uvulus church stands quite isolated, on the fringe of a former Bomber Command airfield and not far from the sea. Normally there would also be at least a small churchtown but this was demolished when the airfield was constructed. The settlement of St. Eval is some distance away and consists of military housing and, of all things, underground bunkers. The exterior of the church is quite conventional. A prominent three-stage tower once acted as a landmark before Trevose Head lighthouse was constructed; it is banded with local blue Catacleuse stone, which makes it unusual and striking. The same stone is also used to good effect in window surrounds and in the porch. The exterior may be conventional, the interior is less so, thanks to its connections with the RAF. Conventional features in the interior are the plain Norman cup-shaped front, with its RAF cover, the octagonal pulpit of 1688, the base of a rood screen with traceried panels, and a good set of carved bench ends with, in some instances, original bench backs. The pulpit of 1688 is finely carved but on an overly plain base. The south aisle arcading is in an odd mix of styles and includes a 15th century carved capital in Catacleuse stone. Modern stained glass (1989) by Crear McCartney commemorates the RAF; striking colours set off an RAF symbol surrounded by a crown of thorns. Two walls carry carved and painted RAF badges. In the Lady Chapel a stained glass windows bears RAF symbolism. While in the Lady Chapel, do look up, otherwise you will miss a fine collection of carved ceiling bosses. One wall carries painted Royal Arms but without the clear indication of which king. Outside, before entering the churchyard gate, do note the WWII was memorial.
The RAF font cover
St. Eval church from the east
A wall covered with RAF badges
St.
Photographs
More in Churches & Holy Sites
Feock, Saint Feoc's Church
I had previously been in Feock on a couple of occasions. In July 2007 I took a couple of church exterior photos, one of the Cornish Cross and several photos of nearby Loe Beach and Pill Creek. In September 2016 I took a lot of photos of the village and of the exterior of the church, the steeply sloping graveyard, the detached bell tower, the two lych gates and the Cornish Cross near the porch. However, on neither occasion did I venture inside the church. I eventually did so in late July 2018, on an outing that also including Kea and Old Kea. As for Feock church, once inside the porch the first thing you notice is that there is a kind of small inner porch with glass doors leading into the church proper. The church, originally dating from the mid 13th century, was enlarged in 1840 then much rebuilt from 1875 by the inevitable J P St. Aubyn. The first thing you notice when you enter is a reproduction 1576 map of Cornwall, hanging on the north wall. Most striking feature of the interior of the church, however, is St. Aubyn's chancel with its series of entertainingly painted roof beams. To be fair that is essentially colourful entertainment. What are truly important are the font, the pulpit and the very Victorian reredos. There is some good stained glass, the east window unexpectedly by William de Morgan, better known as a tile designer. Perhaps the most impressive piece of furnishing is the pulpit, made of four 16th century Flemish Renaissance panels bearing biblical scenes. But my personal favourite is the late Norman font of blue Catacleuse stone and finely decorated with symmetrical and floral designs.
Flushing, St. Peter's
In March 2017 I visited Mylor Churchtown, where I had not previously been inside the church, so steeply and beautifully situated above the marina. On the way there I had been first to St. Gluvias at Penryn, which was closed, and St. Peter's at Flushing. St. Peter's is situated at the top of the hill down to the water. Opposite, from the top of a steep drive down to a house called Little Flushing, there is a good view down to the water and across to Falmouth. This Anglican church is highly unusual for Cornwall, dating from 1842, a time when so many Methodist churches were beng built. The interior (photo below right) is also unusual, with its queen-post roof and a model yacht - appropriate for Flushing - suspended from it. You might think there had been an older church on this site, witness the unexpected presence of a Cornish Cross in the churchyard. However, the cross was found in a farm building at Porloe in 1891 and moved to this churchyard.
Forrabury near Boscastle, St. Symphorian's Church
I first encountered St. Symphorian's church - the same dedication as that in Veryan - in the course of the same round walk during which I first saw Minster Church. That was in January 2008. I didn't go inside it then; my interest then was only in photographing its Cornish Cross, situated to the south of the churchyard. However, I eventually revisited St. Symphorian's in July 2018 and took some interior photographs. Before going in the church I walked through the gate in the top left-hand corner of the churchyard. You should make a point of doing this for the views. Most striking is the view to the Coastguard look-out on Willapark, the headland to the south of Boscastle. Sitting just inland from Willapark and lying between the church and that headland is the high ground of Forrabury Stitches. The Stitches are evidence of a medieval way of farming. This series of fields is divided into 42 "stitch-meal" plots of farmland, a method of crop rotation that dates back to Celtic times still exists and is one of the best three surviving examples of stitches being farmed in Britain today. The church of Saint Symphorian was subject of a major restoration in 1868, resulting in an additional north aisle with heavy classical columns. The Pulpit, Credence Table and Altar all incorporate old bench ends. The pulpit is of geometrical design and features a terrier and two rabbits in a barrow, an ape on a stool, and two swans. One wonders what other treasures existed on old bench ends, sold off to local farms and houses. A priest's chair is of unusually elaborate design. The cup-shaped font is Norman with criss-cross diagonal decoration.