St. Clement near Truro - See below for St. Clement revisited
Churches & Holy Sites

St. Clement near Truro - See below for St. Clement revisited

Less than two miles from the heart of Truro, St. Clement might be another world entirely. Reached by a quiet and narrow lane, it nestles above the tidal Tresillian River, its wooded banks a haunt of herons. Jane and I revisited after more than thirty years and, for the first time, took a close look at the church. The delightful churchyard is entered through an unusual lych gate, rooms above it and a filled-in coffen stile, like a great granite cattle grid, beneath your feet. The churchyard, itself part of a wildlife project, is full of ancient tomb stones with sentimental inscriptions. Near the south porch is a remarkable survival, an eleven foot high granite pillar, twice used as a 6th century memorial, re-cut as a Celtic Cross and later used as a gate-post. Inside is a pulpit of green serpentine, a 14th century font and a rather touching marble memorial to Samuel Thomas. An easy one mile, sometimes muddy, walk down-river brings you to the village of Malpas and its Heron Inn. A pleasant, but less often muddy, walk up-river brings you to Tresillian village just east of Truro. A walk uphill and across fields brings you to Boscawen Park on the Truro River just on the south side of Truro city centre. There is a small amount of parking at the creek below the church.

St. Clement and the Tresillian River from above

Round walk from Boscawen Park includes Malpas and St. Clement.

St.

This review was written by Oliver Howes and is reproduced here in his own words. All text and photographs remain his work, preserved in his memory.