Weight: 840 lbs Diameter: 35" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by John III [C] & Fitzantony II Pennington 1766
Dove Bell ID: 56347 Tower ID: 21433 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Lamorran: St Moran
Diocese of Truro
Church, 639101
http://holytrinitytresillian.org.ukOverview
Grid reference: SW 878 417
A small stone cruciform church lying in a remote wooded location, within the Tregothnan estate beside a creek of the river Fal. The location is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the church is listed Grade II*. Within the churchyard are a detached belfry, also listed Grade II*, and the shaft of a medieval cross, listed Grade II and scheduled as an Ancient Monument. The church dates originally from the thirteenth century but was partly rebuilt in the 1840s for the Earl of Dartmouth and further restored in 1854 under the supervision of the architect William White, an original and inventive church architect with strong Cornish connections. White reroofed the building, added a north transept, ‘improved’ some of the window tracery and refitted the interior. As well as White’s furnishings, the interior contains a vigorously carved Norman font and a large and elaborate mid-seventeenth century slate monument to John Veryan. The church hosts a colony of brown long-eared bats and was closed between 2014 and 2023 because of the difficulty of cleaning the heavy accumulation of droppings. The church became part of the Bats in Churches project (2018-23) and major capital works were undertaken in 2020 to confine the bats to two specially constructed transept voids. The works were successful, with the bats using their new home and the church interior bat-free. After extensive ancillary works, the church re-opened in January 2023.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Church open to visitors by prior arrangement Visitor parking available
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Footprint of Church buildings: 136 m²
Exterior Description
A church at Lamorran was dedicated by Bishop Bronscombe on 12 August 1261, although the presence of a Norman font in the church and a fragment of chevron carving in the walls suggest that that there may have been an earlier church on the site. Pevsner notes that the church was cruciform in the 1260s. In 1845 the church was rebuilt at the expense of the Earl of Falmouth, as a plaque in the porch records. The extent of this rebuilding is unclear, but it seems likely that at least some of the old fabric was preserved. The Gentleman’s Magazine noted that ‘the style of the original church has been retained throughout and, both internally and externally, has a very pretty effect’. In 1853 the church was again restored, this time under the supervision of the architect William White. A loose stone in the sanctuary is inscribed ‘this chancel was rebuilt in 1853’ but the work was considerably more extensive. The Ecclesiologist noted, ‘This small church which, when re-built some years ago comprised a chancel and nave of equal height and breadth and a south transept with a south porch adjoining the western wall of the latter is about to be re-cast and enlarged by Mr White’. White ‘raised the roofs to a good pitch and altered the windows into good pointed ones of early tracery’. He also added a north transept, with a vestry on its northern side, inserted a sanctuary arch and completely refitted the choir. The Ecclesiologist noted that all the seats in the transepts, as well those in the nave, faced east and it is likely that they were all designed by White, who had a particular interest in church seating. The northeast vestry has been removed but there appear to have been no other significant alterations to the building since the 1850s. The church is cruciform on plan, with a nave and chancel under a continuous pitched roof, lower north and south transepts and a south porch attached to the west side of the south transept. The walls are of slatestone with granite dressings, the window surrounds and roof coverings of banded Delabole slate. The west gable wall of the nave has regular corner quoins which suggests that it has been rebuilt. Both the west gable wall and the south transept gable wall have three-light traceried windows of fifteenth century type. Other possible fifteenth century features include the straight-headed windows in the south wall of the nave and the east wall of the south transept. The doorway to the south porch has a moulded stone outer surround with a four-centred head which is probably fifteenth century work, but doubtless re-set. Otherwise all the windows are clearly Victorian, with tracery which is particularly elaborate in the steeply-pointed east window.
The bell tower at the southwestern corner of the churchyard is a two-storey structure, rectangular on plan and built of slatestone rubble with a pitched slated roof. The date of the building is unclear; it may be late medieval or more probably of the sixteenth or seventeenth century. There are door and window openings on both floors. The first floor is by way of a stone and earth ramp to the door in the west gable. The interior retains its original oak floor beams and has an oak bell frame on the upper floor, made for three bells but now containing just one.
Interior
Interior Description
The internal walls are plastered, with deep window embrasures, some of which are chamfered. The floor of the central aisle between the timber pew platforms is of flagstones with bands of ornamental tiles. The steeply-pitched pine roofs are closeboarded above the principal trusses, which have collars with arch-braces. Simple pointed c electricity.hamfered arches open into the transepts. A similar arch opens into the chancel on the east side of the crossing but in this case it is supported on detached shafts with simple capitals and bases, inserted by William White. The chancel is floored with richly patterned encaustic tiles. Medieval and later (pre-Victorian) furnishings of note include: A circular font on a central stem, with four outer shafts terminating in crudelycarved masks carved out of the solid bowl. It is doubtless Norman, but the crispness of the carving and the evident tooling marks suggest it has been restored. The font stands on part of the pew platform inside the south door. The monument to John Vernan, who died in 1658, set against the south wall of the south transept. It is an unusually large and elaborate example of incised slate carving. The panel extends below the present floor level and may relate to an earlier floor level. An oak altar table of seventeenth century type. All the other furnishings date from the mid-nineteenth century refurbishments. They include: Elaborate patterned encaustic tiles to the chancel. Simple timber communion rails. Oak choir enclosure with pierced decoration and choir stalls. What is described by Pevsner (and John Betjeman) as a Georgian choir arrangement was formed by William White in 1854 and described with approval in The Ecclesiologist. Oak pulpit with pierced decoration set against the south respond of the chancel arch, 1854 by William White. The oak benches in the nave and transepts appear to have been re-arranged and are of differing patterns but there can be little doubt that they are all part of William White’s 1854 refurbishment. There is an interesting and varied collection of stained glass in the windows. The west window is by Clayton & Bell (1893), the east window by Lavers & Barraud (1858), the south transept east window has re-used medieval glass while the south window is by Thomas Willement (1854). The east window of the north transept has roundels of the Evangelists, probably by Lady Falmouth (1860s). Nave and transepts have pendant Victorian oil lamps, now superseded by electricity.
Fixtures and fittings
Bell Frame
Maker
Pickford
Date
Visit
GPE 7/78
Description
Three With Strutted Brace Ties; May Be Mediaeval In Part.
OFJ
Jurisdiction
Number of Bells
3
Material
Bells
Churchyard
Grid reference: SW 878 417
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Quinquennial Inspections
Submit a change
If you notice something incorrect or missing, please explain it in the form below and submit it to our team for review.