Diameter: 12" Bell 1 of 1
Dove Bell ID: 58718 Tower ID: 22733 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Penzance: St Paul
Overview
Grid reference: SW 469 299
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Nave and chancel, transepts, north aisle and vestry/office range to the north, west and north-west porches, south-east organ chamber.
Dimensions:
Nave 10m (31ft) by 6m (19ft).
Description of Archaeology and History
The church was built in 1843 to a design by a Dr Hocking, the land given by Henry Batten, the curate of St Mary’s, as a proprietary chapel for use by supporters of the Oxford Movement. It was allocated its own parish, the smallest in Cornwall, in 1866. The church was originally cruciform, with shallow transepts.
A small west porch was added in 1886, and in 1893 the north transept was extended by the architect J W Trouson to the west front to create a north aisle with a small north-west porch. An inner west lobby of softwood and glass was added in the 1970’s. The parishes of St Mary and St Paul were united in 1973. The church was stripped of its frontals and dossal curtains within the last few months, and is no longer used for worship.
Exterior Description
Designed in the Transitional style, with tall slender pointed lancets the dominant architectural feature. The later north aisle was built in the same very simple style. The church presents quite a rather forbidding aspect as seen from the west, the almost identical steep gables of the nave and north aisle pierced by stepped triple lancets with a foil in the head, with plain continuous hood-moulds over.
The north aisle gable is crowned by a simple stone cross, the nave with an unusually large and detailed open stone belcote with a single bell, again surmounted by a cross. Angle buttresses at the angles, of two steep weatherings. The north-west and west porches are almost identical, shallow and low with steeply pitched rooflines and pointed doorways with mouldings springing from one order of nook-shafts with simple capitals. The doors are of oak with good iron fittings.
The east walls of the chancel and north aisle also have stepped triple-lancets as described above. The short two-bay nave and aisle have a simple lancet to each bay divided by a single buttress, the shallow north transept has a tall single lancet and the south transept and organ chamber has a single tall lancet in its western and southern walls. There is also a lancet in the organ chamber south wall.
Building Materials
Granite
The walls are of granite rubble, dressed with granite ashlar.
Slate
Timber roof covered in slates.
Interior
Interior Description
This apparent simplicity is belied by the interior, where there is a wealth of detail. Each window is treated slightly differently, with shafts generally of two orders, the chancel east window having four, and with two sets of annulets. The cylindrical capitals and annulets are picked out in coloured paint. The west window of the nave has simple continuous mouldings.
The north aisle arcade is carried on stumpy round piers with plain cylindrical capitals, the arches pointed and plain. Unusually, the arcade stops dead after the second bay, the end wall rising vertically to eaves height. The gap to the chancel is bridged instead by an unusually complex false hammer-beam roof sprouting from the wall plates, the members carved and gilded, carried on plain granite corbels.
The chancel is now stripped of furniture. The north wall has a single arched opening with piers and capitals reflecting the north aisle arcade described above. The large east window is flanked by tall pointed commandment boards, which are painted and gilded to match the ornate reredos underneath (see below).
The reredos has a moulded cornice which runs around the sanctuary walls above the sedilia on the north and the piscina and square-headed door to the organ chamber on the south side, with the organ pipes above this (pipes also on show in the west wall of the organ chamber). The walls were originally painted with a vine-scroll pattern, but this has been white-washed over (the west wall has been stripped).
A doorway in the north transept gives access to the vestries and community rooms, which are very dilapidated. These belong to a Trust, and are not church property.
The floors are of quarry tiles in the nave and aisle and woodblock elsewhere.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
20th Century Altar of oak, ornately carved with blind tracery panels and a particularly richly carved cornice, c 1919. Originally the High Altar, but now situated against the east wall of the north aisle. The fate of the altar of 1966 of Japanese oak which replaced it is unknown, it has been removed along with all the frontals and dossal curtains since summer 2000.
Pulpit
19th Century Massive granite pulpit with carved blind tracery panels and moulded cornice, apparently based on a design at Oxford St Peter, c 1870. Moulded stem and foot. Four wooden steps, with an oak rail (loose) supported on scrolled wrought iron stanchions. In a late 19th century print showing the church interior, this was situated on the opposite (south) side of the chancel and had a sounding board.
Lectern
20th Century Brass eagle supported on a tall polypod wooden stand, 1907, given in memory of Rev Harrison Gibson.
Font (component)
Serpentine font, octagonal bowl on a polypod stem and base in the small baptistery niche at the west end of the north aisle. Dedicated in memory of Jane Coulson. Plain wooden lid.
Stained Glass (window)
19th Century The best stained glass belongs to the period of construction of the church, the 1840’s. This is by T Willement in a 14th century style. The east chancel window, apparently with inspiration from Beverly Minster and the Chapter House at Oxford, has Christ in Glory above Peter and Paul, flanked by the Four Evangelists, all contained within vesicae and with quatrefoil patterns between each. The west window has several Prophets (John the Baptist, Moses, and Aaron, flanked by Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah and Ezekiel), depicted the same way, with gold fleur-de-lys between. The three-light east window of the north aisle has three saints (Augustus, Stephanus, St Timotheus) in a similar composition and style to these windows, flanked by two lancets with fleur-de-lys only, which makes one think that this window was re-set after the extension of the church. The easternmost lancet in the south wall shows the martyrdom of St Stephen. It is in memory of the founder and first incumbent Henry Batten, died 1860 (brass plaque adjacent). The other glass of the 1890’s in the north aisle shows John Wycliffe and the martyrs Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley in the two westernmost lancets. They are dedicated in memory of Elizabeth Wilmot Marion, born 1854 died 1878, and John Henry Edmund born 1854 died 1861, the dear children of the Revd Richard Malone and Jane Wilmot his wife. The rest of the glass is plain with coloured patterns, each window different. Some are composed of coloured roundels, likely to be 1840’s in date.
Organ (component)
20th Century The list of organ builders associated with this instrument includes Robson, Hewins, Heard & Sons, and Hele, who rebuilt the organ with 30 speaking stops on three manuals and pedal and tubular pneumatic action, some time before 1946. It does not immediately appear to be an instrument of great quality, although it is possible that pipework by Robson lurks behind an unlikely looking specification.
Plaque (object)
19th Century to 20th Century The west wall of the nave has two marble plaques, one to Captain John Myers Montgomery (died 1849), who served in China, erected by his brother Officers of the 42nd regiment. The other is to Lucinda Cox, died aged 64 in 1856 at Richmond, and buried in Weston-super-Mare. There are two brass plaques on the south wall, to Harriet S Magor, died Bethlehem South Africa 1885, and to Emily Borlase Bolitho, died 1885. The north wall has a large brass plaque commemorating Rev John Hunt, Vicar from 1884-94 and responsible for the enlargement of the church, died 1905
Altar Rail
20th Century Scrolled and gilded wrought iron stanchions, wooden handrail with carved terminals, c 1900.
Bells
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Marriages and baptisms since 1893.
Dark-stained pitched pine bench pews with shaped ends with poppy-heads and panelled backs, c 1907
Churchyard
Grid reference: SW 469 299
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.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
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
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