St. Germans

Germans

Seen from the grounds of Port Eliot House, as it is in the photo to the right, this is an impressive looking church. Its vast west doorway has elaborate Norman stone carving, much more than just the usual simple Norman chevron moulding. The twin western towers are striking, not least because they are so different. The southern is a simple square tower but the northern is octagonal. Ths view from the west is promising but the interior disappoints. Enter through the oddly situated porch and you are in a dull cavernous space filled, sadly for Cornwall, not with pews with elaborately carved bench ends but with rows of chairs! And, oddly, the south aisle is wider than the nave! There is almost no woodwork of note, except for a free standing ancient choir stall with a misericord remembering a man named Dando, punished for hunting on a Sunday. The font is interesting but badly worn, The pulpit, unusually for Cornwall, is of stone and pleasantly carved. There are some striking monuments, most notably the Rysbrack monument to Edward Eliot and a charming wall monment to the first Earl of St. Germans. The impressive east window is by Burne Jones, one of the finest in Cornwall after St. Neot. The village, in several parts, is worth exploring.

By B3249 near Tideford; from Trerulefoot by A374.

The west front seen from Port Eliot grounds

St.