Porthpean, Higher Porthpean, St. Levan's Church
This is an unusual and attractive small church, in the centre of the little village of Higher Porthpean. Built in 1884 by J Reeves for Lady Graves-Sawle of nearby Penrice, its front is quite unexpected, an arcade bearing coats of arms, presumably including those of the Graves-Sawles, and a bell-cote above. I know of no other church in Cornwall with a similar arched loggia for its west front. It's on a pretty tight site, the lane on the south side running down steeply to Lower Porthpean and St. Austell Bay. The interior is of local Pentewan stone, un-plastered, colourful and attractive and nicely sets off the three-light east wndow by Clayton and Bell. No pews, instead chairs. The altar is simple; when I was there flowers stood on the altar-cloth. A reredos is of Devon marble. The font at first looks simple but on closer inspection is quite complex, incorporating seven different bands of shaping. A St. Levan's Sunday School banner hangs on one wall.
Higher Porthpean Church, West Front Loggia
Higher Porthpean Church, the Chancel
Photographs
More in Churches & Holy Sites
Portloe, All Saints Church
At the very end of September 2019 I visited little All Saints Church in Portloe on my way to the church of St. Symphorian in Veryan. This is not a church of any great significance, except in so far as it offers a welcome to all, not just those of its Anglican denomination. It was built around 1890 and is topped by an open octagonal bell-cote. Driving through, you could miss it as it just part of a row of homes on the hill out towards Veryan. In so far as All Saints has any style, it is vaguely late-Victorian Gothic, a little surprising as the building was originally constucted as a lifeboat house, despite being so far from the little harbour. Reordering of the church has made it extremely flexible and it is very much the centre of this small community. During the summer cream teas are provided (from 2.30ish) every Tuesday. In winter a "Soup Lunch" is held on the 1st Monday of the month.
Poughill, St. Olaf's Church
Poughill - pronounced Puffle - is tucked away on a quiet lane, leading to Northcott Mouth, on the north side of Bude. It is a steep village and the lane is narrow but, fortunately, there is a good sized car park below the church. There are some attractive cottages, particularly Church Cottage and St. Olaf's Cottage. St. Olaf's Church, dedicated to the Norwegian King and Martyr, stands on a knoll, perhaps suggestive of an ancient site. The oak tower door has an impressive surround. The porch, in it a slate memorial in Latin, has an ancient studded oak door. Inside, wagon roofs have carved bosses. The frescoes of St. Christopher are a remarkable survival: whitewashed at the Reformation, they were only rediscovered in 1894. The elaborately carved pulpit is unusual for its open fretwork. A wall plaque commemorates Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, Wadebridge doctor, builder of Bude Castle and inventor of a steam road carriage. His limelight illuminated the House of Parliament for 60 years. As at Kilkhampton, there is a fine collection of early bench ends. The attractive looking Preston Gate Inn, which also calls itself a cafe, is open 11 to 11 daily and does interesting sounding food lunchtime and evening. There is fish and chips on Friday and roasts on Sunday.
Poundstock, St. Winwaloe's Church
Less than half-a-mile from the busy A39, the so-called Atlantic Highway, Poundstock is a remarkable little hamlet. A lane loops through it from the A39 but otherwise goes nowhere. Yet this was once an important place, mentioned in Domesday Book but in existence as a manor for long before that. Even if you include nearby Trekinnard and Bangors the population is tiny yet the impressive church, set in a lovely sloping churchyard, might seem to belong to a much larger village than this. The church as it is today dates largely from the fifteenth century, though there are scant Norman remains. It is dedicated to St. Winwaloe; can this really be the same Winwaloe as on the Lizard, at Towednack and at St. Germans? Confusingly, a nearby well is dedicated to St. Neot, as in Bodmin Moor. There are some treasures inside: a late Norman font, an octagonal Jacobean pulpit, a panel from the original rood screen, a 16th century chest, parts of a wall painting, saved and exhibited against the north wall, and some early inscribed slate tomb slabs. Sadly there are very few bench ends but there is an interesting bench in the chancel. Perhaps the greatest treasure of all is at the south end of the graveyard, a restored late medieval gildhouse (church hall), the only example in Cornwall. In the churchyard are more early inscribed slate tomb slabs. St Neot’s Well is off a track that heads NNW to Great Wanson. Up the lane to Bangors is a large free car park.