More Looe, St. Martin and Morval
The town of Looe has no Anglican church of its own. Instead there are two a little way north of the town, St. Martin about a quarter miles north, Morval a mile or so further. St. Martin church is dedicated to St. Keyne and St. Martin. The south gate is simple but attractive. The doorway from the porch is late Norman zig-zag. The church is probably 13th century and the tower 14th and 15th. Inside, the unusual font is decorated with a tree of life. Altar rails are probably early 17th century as is the parclose screen. Monuments include a tomb chest of 1590 and a wall tablet of 1667 to Walter Langdon and his wife. There are some carved bench ends, probably Victorian; original bench ends seem to have been used in making one screen, another elaborate carved screen is presumably Victorian. There is some William Morris glass. In the graveyard is a Cornish Cross of dubious authenticity. Morval church is dedicated to St. Wenna. Seen from the road it is low but most attractive, standing, as does the house, in a small landscape park and with rhododendrons in the churchyard. Inside is an octagonal 13th century font, a seventeenth century alms box and a 1637 monument to Walter Coode.
St. Martin Screen
St. Martin Porch
Morval Church
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More St. Uny, Lelant
In January 2017 I had an expedition down west. First I went to see Towednack church, closed when I was there recently but happily open this time. Then I continued to Lelant where a little research in Langdon had suggested the existence of several Cornish Crosses. I checked on Cornwall Council's excellent Mapping Website and was able to confirm that I should find crosses in the churchyard of St.Uny Lelant, in the large cemetery and even on the main street. Previously I had only been in Lelant when on the Cornish Coast Path between Hayle and St. Ives. On that occasion I had taken the path between the church and its separate cemetery and not lingered at the church. On this occasion I stopped in the town first where, opposite the Badger Inn (formerly the Praed Arms) a Cornish Cross had been built into the wall next to Cross Cottage. There is now a War Memorial on the site but it looks as if the cross head is mounted on top of the memorial. In the cemetery I found 3 crosses; in the churchyard I found a further 2. The church is delightfully situated, next to a golf course and overlooking Hayle and the Hayle Estuary. Of interest in the church are 2 ancient slate memorials, an octagonal font, panelling from a medieval screen and a good reredos. More images