Description

ADVENT
SX 18 NW
5/7 Church of St Adwen
-
17.12.62
GV I

Parish church. Dedicated to St. Adwen. Norman font, circa C13 north transept, circa
C13 west tower, circa C15 south aisle, restored in 1847-8, in circa 1870s and in
1975.
Local stone rubble. South porch and south aisle of granite ashlar. Slate roof, nave
and chancel in one. Tower of 3 stages constructed of roughly squared and coursed
granite.
Plan : The church probably has Norman origins with a Norman font. In circa C13 a
north transept and west tower were built. In circa C15 a 5 bay south aisle was
added, probably contemporary with a large chapel forming a type of south transept and
the north transept arch was rebuilt. The church was restored in 1847-8 and possibly
during the restoration the south chapel was demolished, the roof having fallen; the
south window and masonry was reused in the rebuilding of the south aisle wall. By
the early 1870s Maclean and Polsue record that the church was in a bad condition and
during the subsequent restoration the north walls of the nave and chancel and the
walls of the north transept were rebuilt, the ancient windows re-inserted in the
transept; the roof was largely replaced with the exception of the waggon roof in the
south aisle which was restored and repaired.
Unbuttressed west tower of 3 stages with each stage recessed. 8 crocketted pinnacles
in corners and centres of each face. 2-centred west door blocked when the ground was
raised to the west. The west door arch has multiple mouldings with jambs of granite
and a hoodmould, probably of Catacleuse stone. Circa C17 rectangular 3-light mullion
west window in partly blocked 2-centred arched opening. Lancet window above and 2-
light belfry openings with slate louvres.
There are no window openings in the north wall of the nave. The north transept has 3
circa C13 lancet windows which were reset when the walls were rebuilt; 3-light
chancel window with restored or renewed Perpendicular tracery and 3-light east window
in south aisle with C19 restored curvilinear tracery of mouchettes in central
roundel. The south aisle has three 3-light Perpendicular south windows, the central
window reused when the south chapel was demolished; the windows to east and west have
been restored. 3-light west window with renewed Perpendicular tracery in earlier
opening. The south porch has a granite stilted arch with hollow chamfer and pyramid
stops. The waggon roof to the south porch has been restored and the wall plate
renewed on the west side. Crenellated cornice with moulded ribs and carved bosses.
The Catacleuse stone 4-centred arch to the south door has a deep cavetto moulding
with carved floral motifs and a rectangular surround with incised spandrels and a
hood mould.
Interior : Walls plastered in late C19. No chancel arch. Simple unchamfered 2-
centred arch to west tower. The ringing stage in the tower is reached by an enclosed
stone staircase at the back of the nave on the north side; the staircase has a
cavetto moulded granite cornice and a 3-centred arch hollow chamfered doorway with
pyramid stops leading to a flight of stairs inside; internal newel staircase in the
tower to the belfry. Ceiled waggon roof to nave and chancel with some re-used
timbers from the circa C15 roof. The south aisle waggon roof is circa C15 with a
carved wallplate, moulded ribs and carved bosses.
5-bay south aisle with type A (Pevsner) moulded piers, depressed 4-centred arches
with cavetto moulding, moulded bases and carved capitals. The north transept arch
has a similar moulding as with the blocked arch, originally to the south transept
chapel.
Circa C19 and C20 furnishings of pitch pine and Norman font with round bowl, renewed
octagonal stem and square base.
Monuments to Elizabeth Bennet (1643), monument dated 1667, to John Batten (1710),
Edward Dinham of Newton, St Kew (1831) and carved granite stone to William Michel
(1650), Agnis his wife (1685) and their 'seed' Elizabeth, Anne, Margery and Grace.
Maclean, Sir John Parochial and Family History of the Deanery of Trigg
Minor in the County of Cornwall 1879
Pevsner, N and Radcliffe, E The Buildings of England, Cornwall 2nd edition, 1970
Polsue, J Lake's Parochial History of the County of Cornwall
1872, reprinted 1974.
Church Guide

Listing NGR: SX1047281607

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Adwen at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17529623

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

• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets