Church of St Mary Magdalene

Details

LAUNCESTON

SX3284 CHURCH STREET 660-1/4/48 Church of St Mary Magdalene 27/02/50

GV I

Chapel, later church to serve the town of Launceston. Late C14 tower, otherwise 1511-24 for Sir Henry Trecarrel of Trecarrel; restored 1852 and 1893. Carved granite and granite ashlar with embattled parapets and coped gables; dry Delabole slate roofs. Tower is coursed greenstone. Plan: West tower ( originally detached); nave/chancel; north and south aisle of same length and south porch. 4-stage embattled tower with setback angle buttresses; stair-tower to SE side. West front with moulded, pointed-arched doorway right of centre; 3-light traceried window above trefoil-headed light. C16 church is buttressed and has elaborate carved decoration up to parapet cornice returned as string at ends. Decorative motifs include: plinth quatrefoils alternating with coats of arms and fleur-de-lis; above this tracery with coats of arms and letters. The letters, from the chancel door eastwards read: AVE MARIA GRACIA PLENA DOMINUS TECUM, SPONSUS AMAT SPONSAM, MARIA OPTIMAM PARTEM ELIGIT. O QUAM TERRIBILIS ET METUENDUS EST LOCUS ISTE. VERE ALUID NON EST HIC NISI DOMUS DEI ET PORTA CEL. Above the letters a course of rose-and-thistle ornament. Weathered buttresses dividing bays also carved: 7 bays east of porch; arms of Henry III to E gable and niche with figure of Mary Magdalene. Original traceried windows, central north window with thick C18 glazing bars, others with leaded glazing: 4-light windows except for 5-light chancel window. 2-storey south porch has diagonally-set buttresses; 4-centred arched doorway with square hoodmould and nook shafts; two 1st-floor 2-light windows with round-headed lights flanking central niche with terracotta statue of Mary Magdalene. INTERIOR: plastered walls; 8-bay arcades with cruciform-on-plan piers with central round shaft and 3 roll mouldings to each compass point; late C19 carved oak waggon roofs (copies of 1524 roofs), coloured memorial glass to S aisle and E end. Porch has octgonal piscina right of inner 4-centred arched doorway and corners of porch have moulded imposts of former vault. Fittings: Norman font bowl used as base for 1914 font with carved cover; exceptionally fine quality C16 octagonal painted carved oak pulpit; a 1654 pew back, otherwise oak pews by Arnold Fellows 1894; arms of George I over choir vestry door; 1723 oak organ front with fielded panels possibly by Thomas Schwarbrick rebuilt and enlarged 1904 by Hele of Plymouth and last rebuilt in 1960 but retains much of its C18 fabric; alabaster reredos by Harry Hems of Exeter; lectern 1895 to George and Emlin Gifford by Rattee & Kett of Cambridge; carved oak parclose screens, 1904; carved oak chancel screen 1911 by Rashleigh Pinwell, memorial choir stalls 1893 to John and Sarah Jane Ching, and triptych in the Lady Chapel. Monuments: freestone and slate to S wall 1667 to Sarah wife of John Ruddle; large 2-storey marble to N wall 1731 to Granville Pyper and Richard Wise, both former mayors, with Corinthian and Ionic orders, moulded entablature, central panel with mother and 3 children and urn finial flanked by busts; marble and freestone memorial to Reverend William Bedford died 1787 aged 63, and Mary his wife died 1783 aged 55, and their sons. Large monument behind organ loft to Elizabeth Herle of Dockacre House (qv), "Depart ye life ye December 1714 by starvation or other unlawful means"; C17 carved figures from Piper monument inside S door. Mid/late C19 stained glass includes memorial of 1883 to Sir Henry Trecarrel. HISTORY: The most spectacular late medieval church in Cornwall. The exceptionally elaborate carved ornamentation is paralleled by the near-contemporary work at St Mary Truro (now part of the cathedral) and Probus. Launceston was the county town until 1835. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Cornwall: London: 1952-1970: 96-7; Kelly: Directory of Cornwall: 1902-1902: 168, 169).

Listing NGR: SX3320984673

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

369978

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, (1970), 96-97
Kellys Directory in Cornwall, (1902), 168-9

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.