Details
ST CLEER ST CLEER
SX 26 NW
10/79 Church of St Clarus (formerly
- Listed as Parish Church of St Cleer)
21.8.64
GV I
Parish church. Norman origin, early C15, with substantial additions of late C15 and
late C19 restorations. Granite rubble with granite dressings; tower in granite
ashlar. Slate roofs with ridge tiles, crested ridge tiles over nave and chancel.
Plan: Of the Norman church, one north door in the north aisle survives; nave and
chancel with north arcade and north aisle probably of early C15, with alterations of
later C15 with addition of the south aisle and south porch; later C15 west tower.
Perpendicular style.
Exterior: The nave is enclosed by the aisles. Chancel projects by open bay, 4-light
east window with cusped lights, Y-tracery, 4-centred arch and hood mould. South
priest's door with 4-centred arched chamfered surround. No plinth.
North aisle has plain chamfered plinth and weathered buttresses, 5 bays; each bay has
3-light window tih cusped lights, Perpendicular tracery, flat head. 2nd bay from
west has Norman doorway, with one order of colonnettes and a zig zag outer voussoir.
C19 plain door. 3-light west window with 3-centred arched heads, 4-centred arch and
hood mould. Small single storey boiler room attached in the angle with the tower.
4-light east window with 4-centred arched head and hood mould, of C19 restoration.
South aisle on moulded plinth, of 5 bays, with porch in western bay; with weathered
buttresses and angle buttresses. To south, four 3-light windows of C19, with ogee
lights, 4-centred arched heads and hood mould. Similar 3-light window to west and 4-
light window to east.
South porch is on moulded plinth, with weathered angle buttresses, 4-centred arched
outer doorway with 2 hollow mouldings and relieving arch. Attached to east wall of
porch, 2 slate tablets, to Jane Hender, 1801 and Samuel Hender, 1797. Interior of
porch has late C15 wagon roof with central carved boss. Granite paved floor with
granite benches to sides. Inner doorway has 4-centred arch, with 2 narrow hollow
mouldings, step stops and relieving arch. C19 double doors with strap hinges. 4-
centred arched image niche above the door.
West tower in 3 stages with moulded plinth, moulded string courses, set-back
buttresses with clasping pinnacles at each stage, embattled parapet with crocketed
pinnacles and cross finials. West doorway with 4-centred arch, roll-mouldings and
recessed spandrels with quatrefoils, hood mould and door with strap hinges of C19.
4-light window above with Y-tracery, 4-centred arch and hood mould. 2nd stage has
clock to south and north. 3rd stage has 3-light bell-openings with slate louvres, 4-
centred arches and hood moulds.
Interior: Slate floor and plastered walls. Nave and aisles have C15 ceiled wagon
roof with moulded ribs and carved bosses, aisles have moulded stone wall-plates on
outer walls. Chancel has C19 wagon roof with angel corbels and C19 carved wooden
chancel arch with angel corbels, C19 wooden rood-screen. Tall 4-centred tower arch
with Pevsner A type piers to sides, framed ceiling to tower. 5-bay north arcade of
octagonal granite piers, with chamfered abaci, 4-centred arches with hollow-chamfered
mouldings. North doorway has 4-centred arched head with fleuron carving, chamfered
jambs. At the east end, squint to chancel, and irregular carved niche below the
squint. 5-bay south arcade in blue elvan, the piers with a fillet on each side of
the hollow moulding, with carved abaci and 4-centred moulded arches. At east end, a
tall 4-centred arched piscina; round-arched holy water stoup by south door. Chancel
has black and white marble floor. Chamfered aumbry to north, cusped piscina with
hood mould to south. Chamfered surround to the squint on chancel side.
Fittings: C19 carved wooden pews and pulpit. Font in nave, C13 Purbeck table-top
type, with flat pointed blank niches on each side. Royal arms of Queen Anne, dated
1708, oil on board, with bolection moulded frame, in south aisle. C18 dado panelling
in nave and aisles. 5 painted texts, oil on board, in bolection moulded frames,
circa 1708, in north and south aisles. Texts printed in trompe l'oeil ovals, early
C18, in nave and aisles; there are 13 of these. Painted coat of arms, oil on board,
in north door. C16 stocks and C19 plough in north aisle. Board in nave with painted
Ringers' Articles, probably early C19.
Monuments in chancel: marble tablet on slate ground, to John Jope, 1844; marble
tablet on slate ground, with gilded decoration and Laton inscription, to John Jope,
1815. In north aisle: marble tablet on slate ground, with draped urn and swags, to
Nicholas Connock, erected 1804, by Isbell of Plymouth; C17 and C18 ledger stones. In
south aisle: chest tomb with fine carved lid in slate, with 2 pairs of figures and
emblems of death, to Robert Langeford, 1614.
Sources: Radcliffe, E.: Buildings of England: Cornwall 1970.
Listing NGR: SX2478268153
