Church of St Torney

Details

NORTH HILL SX 27 NE 4/135 Church of St Torney 22.11.60 GV I Parish church dedicated to St Torney. Norman font, early C14 details in chancel, the remainder of the church largely late C15 or early C16. Restored in 1868. Chancel of stone rubble. Ashlar granite north aisle and fine regular granite ashlar blocks to south aisle, south porch with chamber above and west tower. Plan: Nave and chancel, 4-bay north and south aisles, south porch, west tower and vestry. The chancel has early C14 origins (or possibly earlier). The nave, north and south aisles, south porch and west tower are probably late C15 or early C16. Exterior: Impressive church with fine quality detailing, the south aisle, south porch and west tower possibly by the same masons as those at the Church of St Anietus, St Neot (qv). West tower of 3 stages with set back corner buttresses, battlemented parapets and crocketted finials. 2-centred hollow chamfered arch and west door with carved spandrels. 3-light west window, the intersecting tracery probably late C18 but with an unusual band of carved roundels near the sill. Perpendicular belfry lights. Much of the tracery in the north and south aisles has been partly replaced in the C18 and C19. The south aisle has buttresses with set offs terminating in crocketted finials and the interior of the impressive 2-storey porch (qv St Anietus, St Neot) has a granite vaulted roof above the ground floor. Sundial dated 1753. Interior: Plaster removed from walls. Tall lofty 4-centred tower arch with type A (Pevsner) moulded engaged piers. High quality well carved late C15 waggon roofs to nave and north and south aisles. Chancel roof restored in 1868 when it was decorated and painted. 4-bay tall lofty north and south aisles with type A (Pevsner) moulded piers, moulded arches and carved and moulded capitals. The pews were replaced in 1896 but the bench ends are well carved and detailed using a C16 pattern: C19 pulpit and lecturn. Painted Royal Coat of Arms of Charles I. Entrances to rood loft stairs. Norman font with simple round bowl and shaft with granite base. The chancel was restored in 1868 when much of the fine quality C14 work was discovered. There are two C14 ogee niches on either side of the east window, a piscina and credence, a sedilia in the south wall, which, though much restored has pillars of polished serpentine and a tomb or Easter Sepulchre in the north wall with an elaborate C14 ogee arch. Squint between Trebartha pew and chancel. The Trebartha pew at the east end of the south aisle has marquetry panels dated 1724 which have been reset in later panelling. Fine memorials including coloured slate ledger stone of Richard Spoure (1653) and elaborate aedicular monument to Henry Spoure (1668). Mausoleum of Rodd family under east end of north aisle. At west end of north aisle fine slate table tomb of Thomas Vincent of Battens (qv) and Jane his wife (1606). A Tourist's Guide to the Parish Church of St Torney 1985. 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.

Listing NGR: SX2718776644

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

432198

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
A Tourists Guide to the Parish Church of St Torney, (1985)
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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