Description

SW 93 NW VERYAN VERYAN

8/137 Church of St Symphorian
-
30-5-67
GV I

Parish church. Circa 1300, first Vicar 1309, and C15, greatly restored 1847.
Slatestone granite and freestone windows and granite doorways and copings. Delabole
slate roofs with coped gable ends. Nave and chancel under one roof. west porch, full
length north aisle, south transept, south tower and south porch towards west end of
nave. West entrance front mostly rebuilt 1847. Porch has pointed outer doorway with
reused Norman freestone imposts and carved head over. 2 more Norman heads inside
porch. Pointed inner doorway with hoodmould probably circa 1300. Reset C15
Perpendicular window central to coped nave gable with niche over. Similar window at
lower level to smaller north aisle gable and another niche over, but with hoodmould.
6 window north wall with similar windows all reset at higher level 1847 in walling
mostly rebuilt above impost level. Walling of left corner rebuilt at different date.
Evidence for removed buttress to right of window 5 and blocked opening to right of
this, partly under window 6. Blocked 4-centred doorway to far right. Wall plaques to
Kempe family of Crugsillick between windows 1 and 2 and Elizabeth Fincher and 1790 and
Stephen Thomas 1771 between windows 2 and 3. East wall has C15 Perpendicular window
to Chancel and north aisle. Chancel window reset 1902 and fitted with coloured glass
in memory of former Vicar. 2 gables with coping reset at higher level. South wall
has 3 C15 windows to left of transept with porch between windows 1 and 2, also 2 C15
windows to right of transept. All similar to other C15 windows except 2 light one to
left of porch. Walling rebuilt above impost level. South porch has ancient wheel
cross inserted over doorway. Inner elvan doorway with hoodmould is circa 1300 and
vertical shiplap door is Medieval. South transept probably rebuilt 1847 has reset 2-
light circa 1300 freestone window to west and east wall. 3-stage early Decorated
tower with clasping corner buttresses and clasping stair turret to south-east corner.
Strings divide stages with carved heads and symbols in cove under parapet. Small
pointed door to east, small slit windows to second stage and large 3-light windows
with intersecting tracery to top stage. South window to first stage is C15
Perpendicular insertion. Clock face to west middle stage and north upper stage.
Battlements and crocketed corner pinnacles to parapet are probably C15. Lead roof
with central valley. Interior has C15 8-bay arcade between nave chancel and north
aisle. Granite standard A-type (Pevsner) piers have limestone capitals with leaf
carving. Granite flags to aisles. Arch braced roofs. Nave roof incorporates braces,
bosses and purlins of C15 waggon roofs. Circa 1300 rear arches to tower and original
stone newel stair. Fittings include clock by Richard Wills circa 1790 - 1800, 6
bells, (oldest bell is 1740), Bodmin type font with granite circular bowl with wave
and ware carving and carved heads over 4 shafts each with bases having 4 carved heads
possibly Norman. Central pier and corner shafts probably replacements. Style is
Norman but bowl is probably C15. Framing and 2 carved panels survive from rood
screen. Japanese oak pews were fitted in 1951. Box pews survived until 1940.
Monuments included Baroque one with cherubs and coat of arms to John Trevanion 1712,
Jeremiah Trist, d.1829 (Vicar for 52 years who had Veryan's 5 round houses built
circa 1820) and one to Arthur Kempe, d.1823, of Crugsillick, Admiral of the Red
Squadron of His Majesty's Fleet and who assisted at the Battle of Quebec in 1759.

Listing NGR: SW9168439578

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529146

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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  Old House Care and Repair
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  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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