Historic Churches in Cornwall

A large granite church in Perpendicular style. There are Celtic crosses outside the church and a wealth of historic features inside. A large 6th-century slab is carved in memory of Selus, brother of St Just. There are 15th-century wall paintings and a 9th-century cross shaft is embedded in the wall.
Church Street, St Just in Penwith, Cornwall, England, TR19 7EZ

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Heritage Highlight: 6th-century inscribed Selus Stone and late medieval wall paintings

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A very tidy little country church on the banks of a creek, made remarkable by its beautiful setting. The slope of the land means that you can stand at the lych gate entrance to the churchyard, and find yourself at a level with the top of the church tower, while the body of the church stretches out far below you.
St Just in Roseland, Cornwall, England, TR2 5JD

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St Mawes church dates to 1884 and replaced a chapel built by Earl Temple (later named Duke of Buckingham). It is a simple whitewashed building in Early English style with fairly plain 19th century furnishings. The highlight is the Victorian stained glass windows including a series of three windows telling the story of St Maudez, or Mawes.
Church Hill, St Mawes, Cornwall, England, TR2 5DP

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Heritage Highlight: Stained glass windows depicting the legend of St Maudez

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The church of St Mawgan stands in the wooded countryside setting of the Vale of Lanherne, north of Newquay. The church dates mainly from the 13th century and was endowed by the Arundell family of Lanherne manor, who lived here for 500 years from the 13th to the 18th century.
St Mawgan in Pydar, Cornwall, England, TR8 4ER

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Heritage Highlight: 42 medieval bench ends

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There are two stories about the founding of St Neot's church, and, indeed, about the saint himself. Or, perhaps I should say, saints in the plural, for it seems there may be some confusion over which St Neot the church is dedicated to. To get to the bottom of the story, let's go back in time, back to the late 5th or early 6th century.
St Neot, Cornwall, England, PL14 6NA

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Heritage Highlight: 16th century stained glass, and medieval crosses in the churchyard

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Half-buried in the dunes of Penhale Sands is an early medieval church dedicated to St Piran, who founded a nearby Oratory in the 6th century. When the Oratory was inundated with sand this new church was built. This church was, in turn, overwhelmed by the sand and abandoned in 1804.
Penhale Sands, Perranporth, Cornwall, England

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An oratory, or chapel, founded by St Piran in the 6th century, lies half-buried in the dunes of Penhale Sands near Perranporth. The Oratory was abandoned by the 10th century when it was engulfed in the sand but has recently been excavated. Nearby are a 12th-century church and Celtic cross.
Penhale Sands, Perranporth, Cornwall, England

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Heritage Highlight: One of the oldest Christian sites in Britain

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A 12th-century church substantially rebuilt in the 15th century, St Winnow's may stand on the site of a Celtic monastery. The only part of the 12th-century building to remain is part of the north wall.
St Winnow, Cornwall, England, PL22 0LF

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Heritage Highlight: Perpendicular carved bench ends

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St Andrew's church dates to the 13th century and stands atop an earlier Norman building. Among the historic highlights is a memorial brass to Sir John Arundell (d. 1560) and a 14th-century effigy of a Blanchminster knight. Look for the peculiar wooden prison door studded with the word 'Clink'.
Diddies Road, Stratton, Cornwall, England, EX23 9DW

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Heritage Highlight: Sir John Arundell brass

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St Materiana's church stands on the site of a 6th-century oratory built by monks of neighbouring Minster. It was rebuilt in the 12th century, probably by Robert of Mortain, the first Earl of Cornwall. Highlights include a Roman milestone, a Bronze Age standing stone, and a crudely carved Norman font with figures of serpents and grotesque faces.
Church Hill, Tintagel, Cornwall, England, PL34 0DL

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Heritage Highlight: Bronze Age standing stone in the churchyard

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