St Michael's Church, Porthilly, lies within the parish of St. Minver. Access to the church is possible at low tide across the Porthilly Beach from Rock, otherwise access is via Porthilly Lane and through a farmyard.There is a car park close to the church. The glorious view from the churchyard is worth the effort whichever way you chose.
The farm buildings which abut the churchyard have a significant part in the history of the church. It is likely that the church began as a single cell or oratory for a monastic order housed in the farm buildings where traces of ecclesiastical architecture are still to be seen.
The church itself was originally built by the Normans and traces of the 12th century building are still evident in the Nave, the Chancel and the South Transept. The South Transept was widened westwards by the 13th century builders who placed a lancet window in the east wall and a piscina to serve the small chapel. In the 15th century the south wall of the chancel was removed and a still smaller chapel or South Chancel aisle was added.
An archway was made in the south wall of the chancel to support the roof above and to connect the tiny chapel with the Chancel. Another arch was made in the east wall of the transept to give access to the newly built chapel. In that chapel to the right of the chancel, hangs a copy of Botticelli's 'Madonna and Child'.
It has been suggested that the same 15th century builders erected the Chancel Screen, of which the lower part remains, and that the pulpit might have been made from the upper part of the screen. Access to the top of the original screen was from a newel staircase built in the north wall of the chapel, the door to the staircase being built in the Chancel instead of the customary nave side.
On the south side of the church are some interesting pieces of old window tracery of early and late 13th century where a memorial window has been engraved by David Peace. There is another 14th century piscina in the south wall.
The Norman font is very similar to that in St Enodoc Church. It has the same bowl and twist pillar now restored. Behind the font are two interesting wall plaques. The larger of the two is know as the Rounseuall memorial. To the right of the Rounseaull tablet is a far less elaborate plaque in memory of Helen Profitt. Before leaving the church look at the kneelers, appropriately they all denote a boat of one type or another.
Outside the church is a fine granite cross, it was removed from the west end of the chapel to its present position and probably dates from the 5th or 6th century. In heraldry it is know as a cross degraded: the ends are fixed in a step or degree and are united by a rim or oriole, and the panels within the arms are pierced. The original purpose or these comparatively rare crosses was to mark preaching stations, or the boundary of a property, or as guides to a church. As Porthilly was almost certainly on the original Pilgrim Way from Ireland to Rome, via Cornwall, the cross could well have been a significant signpost.
The given co-ordinates will take you to the door of the porch on the south side of the church. To find the cache, first locate the plaque inside the porch, above the door to the church itself. This is a memorial to a mother and daughter who died on the same day. Take the number of the month given as 'A', the date that follows as 'B', convert the Roman Numerals for the year as 'CDEF'. For the final location, use the information in the following formula, N 50 (A/B)(A-C).(C+D-E)(F-E-C)(E-A) W004 (D-A)(F-A).(E-B-C)(A/C)(B/C).
“If anybody would like to expand to this series please do, I would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first at churchmicro@gmail.com so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication. There is also a Church Micro Stats & Information page found via the Bookmark list”