Church of St Petroc

Details

TREVALGA TREVALGA
SX 09 SE
1/232 Church of St Petroc
17.12.62
GV II*
Parish church. Dedicated to St Petroc. Probably Norman origins, partly rebuilt in
C13 and C15 and restored in 1875 by J.P. St Aubyn. Slate stone rubble, the tower
with granite quoins and moulded granite strings. Slate roof with nave and chancel
under one roof.
Plan: The church possibly has Norman origins with a Norman font and some early
masonry surviving in the north wall of the nave. In circa C13 the nave and chancel
were probably rebuilt and a north transept added. The west tower is also probably
C13, remodelled in the C15 when the west door, plinth and west window was inserted
and the battlemented parapet added. During the restoration of 1875 by J.P. St Aubyn,
the south porch and south walls of the nave and chancel were rebuilt, the east wall
of the chancel was rebuilt above the battered plinth and the north priest's door was
blocked. Internally the squint between the north transept and chancel was
remodelled, the roof to the nave was replaced and the church was reseated. Prior to
the restoration there was evidence of frescoes on the walls, the only surviving
indication now remaining in the arch above the east window of the north transept.
West tower of 3 stages with granite quoins and strings and a battlemented parapet
without finials. Circa C15 west door arch in rectangular surround with hood mould;
2-centred arch with hollow chamfer and incised spandrels. 3-light Perpendicular west
window and 2-light belfry openings with slate louvers. North wall of nave and north
transept largely unrestored with circa C15 1-light and 2-light greenstone lancet
windows. East wall of chancel largely rebuilt during C19 restoration with C19 3-
light Perpendicular window. South wall of nave rebuilt during restoration; 1 light
cusped lancet window to west of porch and 1 and 2-light lancet windows to east of
porch. South porch largely rebuilt in C19 with 2-centred chamfered arch with runout-
stops, C19 roof and slate-topped benches inside. South door has a 2-centred
greenstone arch with hollow chamfer and pyramid stops and a circa late C19 door.
Interior : Walls to nave, chancel and north transept re-plastered in 1875 and painted
in C20. Descriptions of church prior to C19 restoration record that the walls were
frescoed throughout in a masonic character, the colours including black, red, yellow
and orange. The only evidence of colour is the yellow and red banded ornamentation
to the arch above the east window of the north transept and the C19 dressed stone
arches of banded greenstone and freestone above the nave windows on the south wall.
Tower arch partly rebuilt with 4-centred chamfered granite arch on moulded corbelled
brackets. North transept arch rebuilt and squint between north transept and chancel
partly remodelled.
Roofs: Roof of nave replaced in C20. The waggon roof structure of the chancel and
north transept incorporates some circa C15 timbers; the ribs on the west and east
side of the north transept ornamented with floral motifs.
C19 pitch pine furnishings. C19 pulpit with carved panels illustrating scenes from
the life of St Petroc. Circa C16 Flemish reredos comprising fine carved triptych
flanked by reset carved bench ends.
Norman font of greenstone with square base and round shaft.
2 memorial windows in chancel and tower by Clayton and Bell.
Memorials: In north transept memorial to Samual, son of John Roscarrock, 1640 with
arms; to Rickard family of Trehane, circa 1829 and to James May, late rector of
parishes of Trevalga and Cheldon in Devon, 1832.
3 bells; 1756 JOHN TUCKER: C.H. WARDEN: F: A: PENNINGTON, 1773 IOSEPH THORPE RECTOR.
THOMAS RICKARD CW + IP + CO 1773 and medieval bell with coat of arms.
Pevsner, N and Radcliffe, E The Buildings of England, Cornwall, 2nd edition, 1970.
Polsue, J. Lake's Parochial History of the County of Cornwall 1872,
reprinted 1974
Sedding, E.H. Norman Architecture in Cornwall, a handbook of Old
Cornish Ecclesiastical Architecture 1909
Sites and Monuments register, Truro, Cornwall.
Information from Rev. D. Nash.


Listing NGR: SX0811390030

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

68895

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Sedding, H, Norman Architecture in Cornwall: A Handbook to Old Cornish Ecclesiastical Architecture, (1909)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, (1970)
Polsue, J, Lakes Parochial History of the County of Cornwall, (1872)

End of official list entry

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