Church of St Symphorian

Details

SW 93 NW VERYAN VERYAN

8/137 Church of St Symphorian - 30-5-67 GV I

Parish church. Circa 1300, first Vicar 1309, and C15, greatly restored 1847. Slatestone granite and freestone windows and granite doorways and copings. Delabole slate roofs with coped gable ends. Nave and chancel under one roof. west porch, full length north aisle, south transept, south tower and south porch towards west end of nave. West entrance front mostly rebuilt 1847. Porch has pointed outer doorway with reused Norman freestone imposts and carved head over. 2 more Norman heads inside porch. Pointed inner doorway with hoodmould probably circa 1300. Reset C15 Perpendicular window central to coped nave gable with niche over. Similar window at lower level to smaller north aisle gable and another niche over, but with hoodmould. 6 window north wall with similar windows all reset at higher level 1847 in walling mostly rebuilt above impost level. Walling of left corner rebuilt at different date. Evidence for removed buttress to right of window 5 and blocked opening to right of this, partly under window 6. Blocked 4-centred doorway to far right. Wall plaques to Kempe family of Crugsillick between windows 1 and 2 and Elizabeth Fincher and 1790 and Stephen Thomas 1771 between windows 2 and 3. East wall has C15 Perpendicular window to Chancel and north aisle. Chancel window reset 1902 and fitted with coloured glass in memory of former Vicar. 2 gables with coping reset at higher level. South wall has 3 C15 windows to left of transept with porch between windows 1 and 2, also 2 C15 windows to right of transept. All similar to other C15 windows except 2 light one to left of porch. Walling rebuilt above impost level. South porch has ancient wheel cross inserted over doorway. Inner elvan doorway with hoodmould is circa 1300 and vertical shiplap door is Medieval. South transept probably rebuilt 1847 has reset 2- light circa 1300 freestone window to west and east wall. 3-stage early Decorated tower with clasping corner buttresses and clasping stair turret to south-east corner. Strings divide stages with carved heads and symbols in cove under parapet. Small pointed door to east, small slit windows to second stage and large 3-light windows with intersecting tracery to top stage. South window to first stage is C15 Perpendicular insertion. Clock face to west middle stage and north upper stage. Battlements and crocketed corner pinnacles to parapet are probably C15. Lead roof with central valley. Interior has C15 8-bay arcade between nave chancel and north aisle. Granite standard A-type (Pevsner) piers have limestone capitals with leaf carving. Granite flags to aisles. Arch braced roofs. Nave roof incorporates braces, bosses and purlins of C15 waggon roofs. Circa 1300 rear arches to tower and original stone newel stair. Fittings include clock by Richard Wills circa 1790 - 1800, 6 bells, (oldest bell is 1740), Bodmin type font with granite circular bowl with wave and ware carving and carved heads over 4 shafts each with bases having 4 carved heads possibly Norman. Central pier and corner shafts probably replacements. Style is Norman but bowl is probably C15. Framing and 2 carved panels survive from rood screen. Japanese oak pews were fitted in 1951. Box pews survived until 1940. Monuments included Baroque one with cherubs and coat of arms to John Trevanion 1712, Jeremiah Trist, d.1829 (Vicar for 52 years who had Veryan's 5 round houses built circa 1820) and one to Arthur Kempe, d.1823, of Crugsillick, Admiral of the Red Squadron of His Majesty's Fleet and who assisted at the Battle of Quebec in 1759.

Listing NGR: SW9168439578

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

62964

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry