St. Issey

Issey

I visited St.Issey church on a warm and sunny July Saturday, a day when I also managed to visit the churches at St. Merryn and St. Ervan and the remarkable garden of self-proclaimed bard, Ed Prynn, who has erected Prynnhenge in the small garden of his bungalow not far from St. Issey. St. Issey is a fairly large village by Cornish standards with a population of around 1000. Its name, a reference to St. Isa or Idi, one of the many evangelising daughters of Welsh King Brychan, was originally Egloscrug, the church on the barrow. Behind the church, the attractive school building has a camel weathervane. Opposite the church is the Ring o'Bells Inn. When I was in St. Issey in July 2016 I was delighted to spot a short parade of steam powered vehicles on their way to the Padstow Festival. St, Issey church was largely rebult in 1891; happily, many good internal features were retained. The aisle arches are unusual, coourfully inscribed with biblical sayings. The font carries lightly carved decoration. The fine reredos is 14th century and of the local blue Cataclews stone; Pevsner surrests that it was originally part of a tomb chest. The Ring O'Bells dates from the 17th century and retains original features. The owner has a smallholding nearby, where he rears livestock and grows produce to serve in his restaurant.

The school and church in St. Issey

On busy A389 Wadebridge - Padstow. Church car park.