Church of St Tallan

Details

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SX 25 SW
4/92

LANSALLOS
TALLAND
Church of St Tallan

(Formerly listed as Church of St Tallanus)

21.8.64

GV
I
Parish church. Circa C13 church built by Augustinian monks from Priory at Launceston. Remains of this fabric in present structure at the west end of the nave, east end of the chancel and possibly lower stage of the tower. Remainder of present structure late C15 with north transept (Killigarth Chapel) probably added in early C16. Restored in 1848-50 and in 1907.

Stone rubble with slate roofs with nave and chancel in one. Stonework changes above cill level on south aisle. North wall rebuilt during 1845-50 restoration. Comprises six bay nave, chancel, south aisle and north transept. A covered porch connects the south door with a detached tower to the south of the west end of the church.

South aisle with five three-light simple uncusped Perpendicular windows with four-centred arches with hoodmoulds. West end of south aisle with two-light rectangular window with segmental headed undecorated lights. East end with four-light circa late C16 Perpendicular window with hollow-chamfered mullions. Chancel window circa C13 three-light lancet with cusped heads, partly restored. Small quatrefoil in apex. North wall of chancel buttressed with circa C13 two-light lancet with cusped head with rectangular surround. North transept east, west and north walls buttressed. East wall with C16 two-light traceried window with hollow-chamfered jambs. Openings altered on north wall with C20 door and two-light window above. West wall with two uncusped lancets with hollow chamfers. North wall of nave with three possibly C16 three-light Perpendicular windows with four-centred arches and hoodmoulds. Buttresses between. West end of nave with large buttresses. Three circa C13 lancet windows with cusped heads.

Unusual detached south tower built into side of hill on bedrock. Three stages on north side and two stages on south side. North entrance to tower from within covered porch. Four steps built into bedrock leading to two-centred arched opening with hollow-chamfer and stops. South face of tower with set-back buttresses. One-light opening in second stage with cusped head. Partly blocked two-light opening above. South porch forming covered way with low granite four-centred arches with moulded jambs. Cobbled floor within.
Four-centred south entrance with roll mould. Studded door with strap hinges.

Interior: south aisle with fine circa C15. waggon roof restored in 1907 when plaster ceiling was removed and the rafters replaced. Carved ribs with two plain ribs between. Five carved longitudinal ribs. Carved bosses, wall and arcade plates. Nave roof largely replaced in circa 1830. Some reused circa C15 material including several moulded ribs. Circa C15 carved wall and arcade plates. North transept with ceiled waggon roof of circa early C16. Moulded transverse and longitudinal ribs and carved bosses, partly restored. Circa C16 waggon roof to covered porch with carved ribs with three uncarved ribs between. Two longitudinal carved ribs. Moulded wallplate on east side restored. Carved wallplate on west. Carved bosses.

Six bay nave with arcade with four-centred granite arches with convex, concave and rollmoulding. Cornish type A (Pevsner) piers on tall moulded bases. Fine collection of carved oak bench ends. (Compare with Lansallos Church qv). Circa 1525 and circa 1600. Include intertwined foliage, carved figure heads and Renaissance detailing.

Bench ends at east surmounted by angel figures. (Compare with Lanreath Church, qv). Bench ends in North Transept (Killigarth Chapel) circa early C17 with names and arms of Sir Bernard and Lady Elizabeth Grenville and family of Killigarth Manor (qv).

Choir stalls made up of fragments from Bernard Grenville's pew with remains of the early C17 rood screen, taken down in the 1848-50 restoration. Carved with Renaissance details and coats of arms with quaterings of the Grenville, Beville, Bere and Saint Ledger families. Altar rails with turned balusters, circa C18. Circa C15 font of Bath stone. Ornamented with quatrefoils in panels. Basin lined with lead and inscribed '1672 WM 1672 WT'. Tap inserted on western face. Hagioscope in south wall of chancel. Oak pulpit and lower level reading desk with carved panels. Book rest constructed from remains of rood screen.

Memorials: remarkable fine slate altar tomb in south east corner of south aisle, commemorating John Beville. 1579 by Peter Crocker (signed). Above are helmet and cuirass of Beville family. Kendall monument in Killigarth chapel. (Kendalls resident at Killigarth after the Bevilles). Commemorates Thomas and wife Mary and daughter Mary who died in 1709-10 and was buried at Westminster Abbey. Monument in Abbey reveals that Mary Kendall had lived with Lady Catherine Jones and had desired that even her ashes should not be divided. At east end of church, slate ledger stone to Joanna Mellow and son, both of whom died in childbirth. 1625, carving in shallow relief represents mother and baby sitting in a four poster bed. Also in chancel, ledger stone to Johannis Morth of Talland, died 1687. Heraldic arms. Also stone to Robert Mark, smuggler who was shot at sea. Stocks in porch.

Medieval mural paintings were destroyed when the north wall was rebuilt in 1845-50. An account by W.H. Box entitled 'Description of some frescoes recently discovered on the wall of Talland Church' may be found in Report of the Royal Institute of Cornwall 1849, p 32.

The Church of St Tallanus is of particularly high standard with an unusual detached tower, magnificent waggon roofs to south aisle, porch and north transept, bench ends and memorials.

Allsopp, E.G. A guide to Talland Parish Church 1979
Pevsner, N and Radcliffe, E The Buildings of England, Cornwall 2nd ed. 1970
Sites and Monuments Register, Truro

Listing NGR: SX2000951911

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

61559

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Allsopp, EG, A Guide to Talland Parish Church, (1979)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, (1970)
Box, W H, Report of the Royal Institute of Cornwall in Description of Some Frescoes Recently Discovered on the wall of Talland Church, (1849), 32

End of official list entry

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