St Veep: (Cornish: Sen Vip)
The parish is named after St Veep (Vepus), of whom little is known, not even whether they were male or female.
The nearby parishes are St Winnow, Boconnoc, Lanreath, Lansallos and Lanteglos.
The church sits in the Hundred of West.
The Church:
The church is dedicated to St Julietta and St Cyricus but was originally dedicated to St Veep. After it was rebuilt in 1336, it was dedicated to St Julietta and St Cyricus. (Mother and son)
It is a grade I listed building. The tower is 57ft high (55ft in some information online) and there are some unique features about this church. It houses the only known set of virgin bells in England, cast in 1770. The church has 8 solid granite pillars, a granite font and an altar supported by granite legs. The pulpit is also decorated with remnants of a rood screen.
In 1549, following the Prayer Book Rebellion, some well-known Cornish figures were murdered or hanged in Cornwall. One of these people was Richard Bennet, vicar of St Veep. He was killed under orders from Provost Marshal Anthony Kingston.
Buried within the graveyard, there is a Victoria Cross recipient. Captain Robert Edwin Phillips VC (11 April 1895 - 23 September 1968) of the 13th Battalion, The Warwickshire Regiment. Awarded the Victoria Cross for an action at the River Hai, Kut-el-Amara, Mesopotamia on 25 January 1917.
St Cadix Priory is located nearby in Penpol Creek
Virgin Bells Story:
Originally only 4 bells, one of which was cracked and the others out of tune. Apparently the vicar at the time, Rev William Penwarne, and the church wardens decided to have the peal recast, adding 2 bells and 2.25 hundredweight of metal. By all accounts, when the tenor bell was being cast, the parishioners collected as much old silver as they could, and threw it into the furnace to enrich the tone of the bell. Tradition has it that the bells were recast in a field opposite the church.
Taken from their moulds, the bells were hung on a girder. By all accounts, Pennington, the bell founder, tapped each bell in turn and leapt for joy! He told those present that it was a virgin or maiden peal. Each bell being in perfect pitch, he was more than satisfied with his work and that the bells can never be excelled. The bells have never been tuned since. It is believed that it is the only virgin peal in the entire country and consequently, St Veep is a mecca for Campanologists.
The cache:
To find the cache, you'll have to find solve the following:
N: 50 GH.(D+F)(H-A)(G) W: 004 FD.(E+G)(F)(B+C-F)
Porch:
On the floor there is a slate with a date and initials. The date - ABBC
How many leaves in total on a whole vine on one side of the porch? D
War Memorial:
How many men from the parish died in World War 1? E
How many men from the parish died in World War 2? F
Back of the church:
How many windows on the back of the church? G
How many crosses are there on the roof? H
Once you have worked out the information, the entrance to the footpath is in the corner. Turn right from the path at the back of the church, and you will see a waymarking post with the arrow pointing your way.
There is room for small TB's and swaps.
The cache has now been moved (20/3/18) You do not have to go over any stiles now. Please be stealthy at GZ if people are around.
Congratulations to andy=rach on FTF
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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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