St. Just-in-Roseland Church

I must confess a special interest in the church at St. Just-in-Roseland. For twenty years my father's cousin Bertie was rector of the parish of St. Just with St. Mawes. As children we enjoyed family summer holidays staying with Bertie and Marjorie at the rectory, just across the road from the church (it's now the Old Rectory and a private home). Jane knows it well too, having lived just a few miles away at Gerrans. The church has a long history, reputed to have been founded by St. Anthony in the 6th century on a spot said to have been visited by tin merchant Joseph of Arimathea and his nephew Jesus! Remarkably, although the Celtic Church submitted to the rule of Rome in 664 AD, St. Just remained Celtic until the middle of the 10th century. The church is attractive from the outside but is disappointing inside, having been over-restored in the 19th century. The real attraction is the location, deep in a wooded valley with the waters of a little creek lapping the churchyard walls below the lower lych gate - unusually there are two lych gates - and the sub-tropical garden planted in the sloping churchyard by an enterprising Victorian rector. The churchyard is sufficiently steep that from the upper lych gate you are looking over the church tower. The church is easy to find; a sign on the road to St. Mawes points to St. Just Church and Bar - perhaps an illustration of the saying about thirsting after righteousness?

Church tower seen through upper lych gate

More St. Just-in-Roseland

In late August 2019 I revisited St. Just in Roseland, primarily for the church. However, I also discovered that things had changed since I was last there. Opposite the little car park above the churchyard is now a fairly classy cafe-cum-tearoom called Mrs. V's after owner Vanessa Vercoe. Open daily from 10 to 5, it serves primarily lunches and cream teas. Above it is a large new car park. It has indoor, outdoor and undercover outdoor seating. We enjoyed a good but fairly expensive smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich. Then Jane and I split up. We had brought two dogs with us, Jane's usual borrowed Collie, Meg, and artist neighbour Tony's spaniel Poppy. While I had a walk around the lovely churchyard garden and went into the church for a thorough look around and photographs, Jane and the dogs walked the two miles into St. Mawes, where we met up again. Although I had long known St. Just, ever since staying with the then Rector, my father's cousin Bertie, way back in 1957, I had never previusly had a good look around inside the church, having preferred to enjoy the wonderful churchyard garden, created by famed Cornish gardener, John Treseder. I would like to think that it is his descendant who has a nursery on the road from Bodmin to Bugle. Inside the church, the most noticeable feature is the series of biblical texts all around the wall-plate. To a fair extent, the interior is the creation of the Rev. C. W. Carlyon, who restored the church in 1872, including the biblical texts. Much of the interior is actually by the hand of Carlyon, including pulpit, pews and clergy seat. The charming roof bosses are not old; they were designed by John Phillips and carved by Charles Moore in 1990. The octagonal font is 15th century. A painted panel of the Lords's Prayer by the south door dates from 1693. A brass on the east wall of the aisle shows a priest in choir cope and probably dates from 1505. Reading all this in Pevsner, before my visit, added to my interest and enjoyment.

Jane, Meg & Poppy at St. Just

St. Just Church Pulpit

Colourful Dove Roof Boss

St.