St Colanus' Church, Colan
| Colan Church | |
|---|---|
13th Century Extended between the 14th & 15th Century Church Tower rebuilt in 1879 | |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | Church of St Colanus |
| Designated | 10 February 1967 |
| Reference no. | 1144182 |
Colan Church also known as St Colan Church is a 13th-century church in
Geography
The church is located between St Columb Major and Newquay, though not on the main road.[3] It sits on the banks of Ryalton Stream,[4] set in remote surroundings, in an area rich in wildlife.[5] St Colan parish is in the rural deanery of Pydar.
History
In 1876, the church was in a dilapidated state. The ribs of the roof sloped towards the tower, which was held together by iron bands. The interior was filled by high pews. The walls were damp-stained.[3] After the reconstitution of the diocese of Exeter in 1876, the church was transferred to the Diocese of Truro with the patronage of the Bishop of Exeter.[4] The main tower was rebuilt in 1879.[7] By 1887, the church had been completely restored thanks to the efforts of the vicar and Paget Hoblyn of Fir Hill Manor.[3] In 1967, the Building and Churches Board incorporated the church as a Grade I Listed Building.
- Vicars
Some of the vicars were: Peter Watts, 1536; Randell, 1662; Budge, 1664; Wood, 1677; Vyvyan, 1712; Newcombe, 1714; J Bagwell, 1715; J Bagwell, 1717; John Colier, 1754; S Gurney, 1762; J Gurney, 1768; John Arthur, 1790; John Creser, 1837.[6]
Architecture
Colan Church is a
The south wall with rood stairs is extant.[4] The south transept at the lower level of the chancel forms part of the church room. Between the porch and the nave is a window on the southern wing, which has two openings covered by a "four-centred arch and hood mould."[8] The chancel also has two windows to the south and three windows facing east. The north aisle is in two parts with a higher roof on the eastern side. The Perpendicular window on the east side has two lights. The western part of the church has three-light windows with varied tracery. The west end has a two-light window with cusped lights, square head and hood mould. The south transept has a two-light Perpendicular window. The porch floor is tiled and there are granite benches along the sides. The nave and walls are plastered. The aisle is rebuilt with an archway. The arcade pier is complete on the north side.[8]
The north door, fitted with strap hinges, has a four-centred arch and wave moulding. On the east side, there is a four-centred arched doorway with hood-mould. It contains a recess (probably a niche which housed an image in the past). A former doorway has been converted into the south window of the nave. There is a wooden gate at the entrance to the porch.[8]
Fittings
The church housed an octagonal stone
There are also two interesting monumental brasses.[9] That on the north wall is mounted on a slate slab and depicts Francis Bluet with the date 20 May 1572, and Elizabeth Colan his wife, daughter and heiress of Tristram Colan Esq., lord of the Manor of Colan. The brass shows effigies of both, standing on either side of an impaled shield of arms, and figures of their thirteen sons and nine daughters below. He was a younger son of Richard Bluet, of Holcombe Rogus in Devon.[10] The second brass on the south wall of the chancel is that of John Coswarth (or Cosowartha) Receiver General of the Duchy of Cornwall in 1575. This brass was originally fixed in the floor. In the Coswarth Brass, there is a bullet hole which has given rise to two legends. According to one, a Cromwell sympathiser of Coswarth fired at the brass. The second tells how a jilted suitor fired at a lady as she married someone other than her choice. The bullet missed her and struck the brass. The bullet hole can still be seen.[10][5]
Grounds
The grounds include a graveyard. At the southern entrance to the churchyard, there is a lychgate. The churchyard is home to the listed Thomas Monument, about 8 m (26 ft) south of the tower. Its rectangular slate stone flanked by carved Ionic columns and a round arch bears the inscription "Death spares none", good lettering with verses to Alice Thomas, 1826.[11][8] There is a war memorial at the back yard of the church honouring the men of the parish who laid down their lives for their country during World War I and II. Close to this memorial, is a 15th-century Gothic cross.[8][10] This cross, which was untraced for many years, was found near a hedge in 1908 by Dr W. J. Stephens of the Old Cornwall Society. Initially, it was claimed by owners of the property where it was found. In 1970, the Newquay Old Cornwall Society intervened and were successful in having the cross installed in the churchyard.[4][12] A sundial with a slate gnomon is dated to 1724.[8]
References
- ^ The Western Antiquary; Or, Devon and Cornwall Notebook. Vol. 7 (Public domain ed.). Plymouth, England. 1888. pp. 179–. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Church of St Colanus, Colan". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ a b c The Western Antiquary; Or, Devon and Cornwall Notebook. 9. Vol. 6 (Public domain ed.). February 1887. pp. 207–. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "Church History". Official web site of Colan Church. Retrieved 16 March 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "Welcome To Colan Church". Official web site of Colan Church. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ a b Polsue, Joseph (1867). A Complete Parochial History of the County of Cornwall: Compiled from the Best Authorities & Corrected and Improved from Actual Survey ; Illustrated (Public domain ed.). W. Lake. pp. 223–. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
- ^ "Truro". The Cornishman. No. 64. 2 October 1879. p. 7.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Church of St Colanus". Gohistoric. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ Dunkin, Edwin Hadlow Wise (1882). The Monumental Brasses of Cornwall (Public domain ed.). Spottiswoode.
- ^ a b c "Virtual Tour - Take A Look Around". Official web site of Colan Church. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ "Thomas Monument in the Churchyard About 8 Metres South of Tower of Church of St Colanus, Colan", British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
- ^ Langdon, A. G. (2002) Stone Crosses in Mid Cornwall; 2nd ed. Federation of Old Cornwall Societies; p. 25
External links
