Lansallos, St. Ildierna's Church

At the beginning of September 2016 I had an outing to the other side of the Fowey River from Fowey. I took the Bodinnick Ferry across the Fowey and followed tiny lanes past Pont to Lanteglos-by-Fowey. There I took interior photos before continuing to Lansallos. There is a National Trust car park back up the hill but, as I was visiting the church, I chose to use the small parking area by the gate to the churchyard. It was a very wet day so I failed to get any good exterior photos and, after photographing a Cornish Cross head and separate shaft in the churchyard, I concentrated instead on the interior. A Celtic church on this site was dedicated to Saint Salwys; the present church, of tower, nave, aisle and chapel, was dedicated to St.Ildierna in 1321 though the present fabric is clearly of the Decorated period. The porch has a superb wooden roof with carved bosses and inside the church are fine wagon roofs, again with carved bosses. There is also as fine a collection of carved bench ends as you will find almost anywhere and carved bench backs, too. The pulpit, on a stone base, has carved panels. On a wall is an excellent slate memorial of 1579 to Margaret Smith. Relics, including a Celtic font, a bell, a chest and stone carvings are at the end of the aisle. Appallingly, the church was subject of an arson attack in 2005; happily, only the organ suffered severe damage. More Images

From a turning from B3359 a little NW of Pelynt

Note the carved bench ends and bench back

More Images of St. Ildierna