Newquay, New Creation Centre
In mid-March 2018 Jane and I visited Newquay together. Secondary purpose was to lunch at the Headland Hotel's excellent Terrace Restaurant, where we enjoyed a good lunch overlooking Fistral Beach - and made a booking for Jane's 80th celebrations in May. Primary purpose was to visit the Parish Church of St. Michael but yet again it was closed, despite being supposed to be open on Wednesday mornings. However we made up for that by visiting the Newquay Christian Centre on Seymour Avenue. This is an Elim ‘Foursquare Gospel Alliance’ church, part of the Elim Pentecostal Church. This proved to be very different from the usual Anglican church: we were greeted by a friendly, informative but in no way pushy lady and were immediately offered coffee and cakes. The church has a very open and welcoming feeling. The first two things to strike us were the lovely collection of fabrics on the seats and the striking blueness of the chancel. Then, looking around, we were very much taken by the contemporary stained glass which included a watermill and a carpenter's tools. The barrel-vaulted wooden ceiling is notable, too, very Cornish in style. Seating in the foyer features colourful cushions. A charming, welcoming place.
Colourful seating
New Creation Centre
Colourful glass
Photographs
More in Churches & Holy Sites
Newquay, St. Michaels
When I tried to visit St. Michaels, Newquay, towards the end of January 1918, I was thwarted. It was closed. I should have realised that, in a town like Newquay, it was not reasonable to expect a church to be open all the time, particularly as it had been the subject of an arson attack on 29th June 1993. So I emailed the church and received a very prompt reply from Canon Jem Thorold with details of opening days and times. I shall return there for a good look around. In the meantime I quote briefly from the new 2014 Pevsner. "1909-11 by Sir Ninian Comper, one of Cornwall's finest churches and the twentieth century's most significant architectural contribution to Newquay. The whole interior bestows a cool, calm, assured character".
Newquay, St. Michaels - interior photos
St. Michael's Font
North Hill, St. Terney's Church
In the middle of March 2019 I visited two churches in the vicinity of Bobmin Moor: St. Clair's in St. Cleer and St. Terney's in North Hill, some 6 miles north-west of Launceston. Although we didn't visit the church at the time, Jane and I have pleasant memories of a tough Mark Camp walk we did from North Hill in 2004, taking in the (then) wobbly bridge over the River Lynher, North Hill itself and Hawkstor Downs, returning by a lower route including Castick Farm. Pevsner describes St. Terney's as "one of Cornwall's most enjoyable churches" and I have no dispute with that. From a grassy car park, a short walk leads to the west end of the church and its impressive three-stage battlemented tower with crocketed pinnacles. Unusually, there is a large gothic window in the west face of the tower. Head round to the south side of the church and you are faced with a charming, if somewhat tattered, sundial. Inside, the porch has a surprisingly elaborate wagon roof with carved bosses. Inside the church, dating mostly from the 15th century, it is airy and spacious. The roof theme continues with wagon roofs to nave and aisles. The fine chancel roof, also wagon in style, is ribbed and painted; below are paintings of a miner and a fisherman. The floor is colourfully tiled. There is an Easter Sepulchre in the north wall of the chancel. Communion rails date from 1685. Slightly surprisingly, there are few carved bench ends. A 1621 brass commemorates Leonard Yeo. A surprisingly simple altar has behind it a marble reredos. A window in the north wall has three small colourful panels. The pulpit features linenfold paneling. An elaborate and impressive wall memorial is dedicated to members of the Spoure family of local Trebartha.