St Columb Minor Church - Building

Building

The first church was probably replaced more than once, until about 1100 A.D. a Norman church was built. Its outline has been traced from the present chancel step to about a yard from the belfry door, with North and South walls, exactly where the nave arches stand today. Part of the Norman foundations are to be seen around the pillars. It is possible to picture this old church with small windows, perhaps with transepts, and having a low arch leading to an apse.

About the middle of the twelfth century another church was erected in the place of the Norman one. This had aisles which terminated at the chancel. Nothing is known about the building of this church, except that in 1283 it was called a chapelry to the College of Crantock.

In 1417 the Bishop of Exeter stated that the chancel was in a ruinous state and that the church must rebuild at once. The stones used, tell their own story, as does also the style of architecture.

About 1430 nave arcades reconstructed: two of the original pillars of Beer stone were left but the other pillars are of Cornish granite. One baffling question concerns the blocked window near the tower which is Early English but does not accord with the rest of the building.

About 1470 the east walls of both transepts were taken down and the aisles extended to the length of the chancel, the side walls of the chancel being pierced with arcades.

The Tower was built in the fifteenth century. There were three altars, of which something can be learnt from the researches of Dr. W. J. Stephens. The high altar was dedicated to St. Columba and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The north altar was to the Holy Trinity. The south altar was to St. Michael, and stood in front of the screen. The piscenas of these altars were disclosed at the 1886 restoration and are of beer stone.

Woodwork. The screen was destroyed in 1795. A few fragments may be seen in the North aisle. The staircase and passages through the arcades remain. William Hals (1658) gives this description:- “The Rood loft (yet standing though without a rood on it) a most curious and costly piece of workmanship, carved and painted with gold, silver, vermilion and bice, is a masterpiece of art in these parts of that kind.” The church was seated with benches “built by the poor stock in 1595” and had carved ends. They were destroyed in 1795 but one is to be seen in the North aisle.

The Font of Penventon stone was made about 1450 and is a copy of a Norman original.

The Porch with stone benches dates about 1450. The date 1669 was carved over the door-way but was removed at the 1886 restoration.

The Tower, recorded as the second highest in Cornwall, is 115 feet in height. Until recent building on the Newquay Road it could be seen from nearly every point of the very extensive parish, and far out to sea.

The Royal Arms are of Charles II and are unusually large and finely coloured.

Monuments. The most interesting of the slate slabs placed on the walls are to Elizabeth Pollamounter, the daughter of Richard Pollamounter, Gent: and to Roger Ellery who was registrar during the Commonwealth.