The Church
The Parish Church dedicated to St Melor is dated from the 16th century although the south aisle is attributed to the 14th century.
The Norman font and the Celtic cord-work and mouldings on the outer arch of the south porch are examples to suggest a much earlier church on the site.
The north side of the church together with the tower was refurbished in 1891. The square tower (second only to Probus, also in the county of Cornwall) is 120 feet high and is built in four stages, buttressed and finished with battlements and crocketed pinnacles. The present set of six bells were recast in 1805 and re-hung in 1923.
Internally, the building is laid out in traditional form with a central nave and pews either side, chancel choir stalls and altar. There are two side aisles both with Chapel altars at the east end which are used from time to time for informal worship.
The windows are mostly glazed in plain cathedral glass with some memorial stained glass. one of which depicts our patron, St Melor.
Other ancient and notable artefacts within the building include a fine Elizabethan table used as a side-chapel altar, Elizabethan pews, and 14th century wall paintings (depicting “The Seven Works of Mercy‟), a carved oak pulpit and lectern and a set of stocks, well presented, with holes for seven people, awaiting occupants in the porch!!
Holy Well - in a field below and to the South West of the church is St. Melor's well. A tiny 15th century granite building, complete except for the door (though the staples for the hinges remain)with a little niche for the saint above.
The Cache
Roadside parking is available outside the church.
The headline coordinates take you to the entrance porch of the church.
Opposite the entrance there is a memorial stone at ground level. From this stone you require the following information:
Elizabeth Ann Trucott AA nd Sept BCDB to AD th Aug BDCA
Hubert Truscott AE th July BCDF to C th April BDCG
Turn to face the south wall of the tower and look at the ancient sun dial.
The date on this is BHAJ
The cache can be found at N 50 32.AFG W 004 22.JHJ
The cache is a plastic tube 10 cms long by 3 cms in diameter wrapped in camo tape.
It is a short walk to the cache but there is also room to park at the GZ.
There are great views of the church in one direction and of Caradon Hill, Stowes Hill and Sharp Tor in the other.
You may require tweezers to remove the log and please Bring Your Own Pen (BYOP)
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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.co.uk
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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