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
A374 St. Ives to Badger Inn and forward to Lelant
Lelant Church - another view
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More St. Uny, Lelant Images
I was back at St. Uny, Lelant in late September 2018 and thought to add a few more notes and images. In medieval times Lelant was a seaport of more importance than St. Ives and the Church of St. Uny was the mother church of St. Ives. While it is hard to imagine Lelant's former importance, there are few churches in a more attractive setting than St. Uny Lelant, not to be confused with St. Euny, Redruth's parish church. The church stands on a large grassy plot, woodland to its south, a view over the Hayle estuary, looking as far as Godrevy Light, to its north--east. Within meadow and woodland, to the south of the church are three Cornish Crosses, a fact nicely echoed by one of the kneelers inside, picturing a Cornish cross. There are three more of these crosses in the graveyard, to the west of the church. A hedge and a path, heading for the Coast Path, separate churchyard from the graveyard. You enter the church through a fine porch; inside are nave and north and south aisles. Extensive restoration was carried out by J D Sedding in 1872-3. Roofs are fine, that of the south aisle being original and richly decorated. Sadly there are no original bench ends; these disappeared in Sedding's restoration. The unusual octagonal font, supported on nine slim supporting shafts, was found in a farmyard and restored to the church in 1889. Slate monuments on a wall near the font commemorate William Praed and family, 1620, and Stephen Pawley, 1635.
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Veep Church
Morvah, St. Morveth
This little church, in the tiny village of Morvah, beyond Zennor on the West Penwith peninsula, which I visited in May 2018, is probably the least interesting of all the Cornish churches I have researched so far. The tower dates from the 14th century but the body of the church was rebuilt in 1828, so just pre-Victorian. The approach is attractive, up three steps and through a pair of iron gates to a green outer porch door. Inside, the nave is simple and pews are unornamented with no carved bench ends. The ceiling is a simple ribbed barrel vault. The octagonal font is unusual with painted decoration on its shaft. The pulpit is simple oak with no decoration. The altar is of local stone with an incised cross. The reredos has three simple panels with a fretted top rail. Window glass is also simple with centre panels carrying a cross motif.