Lostwithiel – St Bartholomew’s
The church is dedicated in honour of St Bartholomew the Apostle and Martyr.
One source of information I found says that the church was built around 1190, by Robert de Cardinan, on the site of a former church, rumoured to have been built in the days of King Arthur.
The church is a Grade 1 listed building. The tower has a base of octagonal design, 4 sides have windows, 4 sides are now blocked off. The tower is from the 13th Century. The original spire was added on in the 14th Century, but it has had to be rebuilt a few times. Once it was struck by lightning, and so much damage had occurred, that parts were found over 200 yards away, and some bits were found in wool being stored in a house opposite some months after.
The north side of the church has a St Catherine’s wheel in one of the alcoves, the rest being Gothic design. Unusually for a Cornish church, there is a clerestory above the nave. The 14th century font is also octagonal and has some unique carved figures upon it.
Here is another bit of information that was found:
The walls of the present Church are very roughly built, in the same style as the oldest part of the Stannary buildings. On the outside of the Church, in the wall between the South porch, and the angle of the West wall, are to be seen below the window there, two arches, formed of very roughly cut, and irregularly shaped Pentewan stone. In the centre, the ends of these arches rest on a pier of the same stone, while the ends furthest from the centre, touch the wall of the porch on one side, and the corner buttress on the other. Until July 14th, 1890, these arches had been built up flush with the wall of the Church. On that day they were opened under the inspection of the Vicar, and found to be sepulchral vaults made in the thickness of the wall, the only entrance to which was from the outside. They were each two feet wide from front to back: the one nearest the porch is six feet three inches long, the other is six feet ten inches long. They are one foot seven inches high at each end, to the spring of the arch, and two feet two inches high in the centre of the arch: The back, top, and sides, were plastered with rough mortar. Human bones were found in both: those in the tomb next the porch rested on a rough flooring of flat stones, those in the other seemed to have been simply laid on the earth, the bones in this vault, from the few that were left, seemed to be those of a man of large stature. There were no signs of a coffin, or remains of wood, in either. The remains found here were probably those of Robert de Cardinan, who died between the years 1224 and 1234, and Isolda Fjtz-william his wife, who died some years before her husband. These tombs were closed with flat stones, August 2nd, 1890. It is said that the Church was repaired in the 2nd of Edward 4th, Aug 23rd, 1463.
For more click here
The cache:
Go to the main door, and find the following:
How many granite faces are there as you enter the church? A
What is the number of people that could be placed in the stocks at one time if both legs were secured? B
Now go to the left of the porch to the ancient stone and side door.
When was the ancient stone restored? CDEF
Above the door there are some windows shaped like old weights.
How many are on the top row? G
How many are on the bottom row? H
Now go to the back of the church. Here you will see a head stone for Susan Treffry.
What year did she die? JKLM
N: 50 (A)(B).(K/B)(H)(E) W: 004 (F-B)(H-G-A).(J)(L-C)((M/D)+B)
Please replace cache so it is hidden from view.
Congratulations to ynysva on FTF
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