The Church
The village of Grampound – the name derived from “Great Bridge”- is recorded as far back as 1296. During Norman and Medieval times it was a strategic crossing of the River Fal on the main road from West Cornwall to the rest of England.
Grampound was one of the "rotten boroughs" prior to the reforms of the 1830s, returning 2 MPs to Westminster. It therefore has a "Town Hall" and a medieval market cross. Both of these are adjacent to St Nuns Church.
There is evidence of there being a very early chapel at Trevillick Farm to the north of Grampound and this has a Holy Well associated with it. The Chapel has long since disappeared except for an inscribed window stone in a wall of one of the barns on the farm. The Chapel was dedicated to St Naunter and from this name derives the St Nuns Church in the village.
There is evidence that there was a Chapel of Ease on the present site as far back as 1370 but over the centuries it fell into disrepair and at some stage was used as an animal shelter associated with the market.
The Church, in its present form, was rebuilt in 1869 in early Gothic style by the Rector, Rev Phillip Woolcombe and his wife.
It is a simple but pretty little church and well worth a quick visit as it is open during daylight hours.
The use of candles for lighting from holders on the ends of the pews and from numerous overhead chandeliers is noteworthy.
The market cross outside the church and adjacent to the Town Hall was described in a work by TFG Dexter in 1932 as of “Pagan Origin and decidedly phallic in design” – you must make up your own mind!! However, be warned, it is said that if you “Run nine times around the cross widdershins (anticlockwise), you will meet the devil”
Occasionally the Town Hall is open and it contains interesting information about the long history of Grampound which, in relatively recent memory, had 3 shops, 7 ale houses, 2 blacksmiths, a coal yard, a famous tannery, a baker, a butcher and a coffin maker.
The graveyard serving Grampound is located at the nearby but more remote Creed Church - also a Church Micro - some members of the Galsworthy and Johnstone families who own the nearby Trewithen Estate are buried at Creed Church.
The Cache
The cache is a magnetic nano very close to the Church but off Church property on the public pathway. Please take special care with kids and dogs as the road is very busy and fast. Also be very stealthy – there is a convenient seat nearby for you to rest on whilst signing the log. Please Bring Your Own Pen.
Tweezers Required!!
Parking may be found in the bays alongside the main road especially during weekday daytimes but failing that there is plenty of parking in the village car park at N 50° 17.931 W 004° 54.179. Please note, there is no parking up Pepo Lane.
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro@gmail.com.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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