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SX 25 NW
3/21
DULOE
Church of St Cuby
21-8-64
GV
I
Parish church. Consecrated 1321. Church probably of cruciform plan in C13. Tower circa early to mid C13. Church extended with addition of four bay north aisle in C15. Two bay chantry chapel for Colshull family added at east end of north aisle in late C15. North transept added in C16. Restored in 1860-1 by St Aubyn at cost of £2,700, Patrons, Bewes family. Restoration included part rebuilding of walls to nave, south transept, north aisle and chancel; addition of south porch and re-roofing of church. The tower, originally three stages, had begun to incline northwards. In 1861 the top stage was removed and a pyramid roof substituted.
Church of snecked ashlar slatestone with moulded plinth to nave, south porch, south transept and chancel. Lower plinth to north aisle and north transept. Both probably contemporary with C19 alterations. Moulded plinth to Colshull chapel on north east. Stone rubble tower with set back stone rubble buttresses to lower stage only and with set-offs, renewed on north west and north east corners. C19 slate roofs with nave and chancel in one. Slate pyramid roof to tower.
Church comprises nave, chancel, north and south transepts, square tower at south of south transept and south porch. South side of nave with C19 three-light Perpendicular window, probably in original opening. South transept with C19 door with granite arch at angle with nave. South elevation of tower with C19 granite two-centred arched opening with engaged columns and C19 plank door. Pointed relieving arch above, pierced at apex by later freestone dressed window. Lancets, louvered in second and third stages on west, south and east elevations. East side of transept with two, probably C19 lancet windows with pointed relieving arches. To east, beyond transept, two Perpendicular windows with partly renewed granite tracery beneath four-centred arches with hoodmoulds. Priests door between with freestone dressed four-centred arch with hoodmould. Chamfered arch and jambs with stops. Four-light Perpendicular east window beneath four-centred arch with hoodmould. North east chapel with late C15 unusual east window of high quality of four-lights beneath four-centred arch with moulded jambs and mullions and ornate cusped lights. Carved label steps with grotesque figure at apex. The north windows of chapel with original late C15 Perpendicular tracery with moulded mullions, cills and jambs with ornate cusped lights. Rood loft projection to west, contemporary with chapel with quatrefoiled light with cusped light above. A castellated cornice and moulded string course decorated with grotesques and gargoyles continues around the chapel and rood loft projection. North transept with circa C19 door surround on east and C19 four-light Perpendicular north window beneath four-centred arch. North side of north aisle with two original circa C15 three-light Perpendicular windows beneath four-centred arches. Both with hoodmoulds. Blocked north door between, in rectangular granite surround with inner four-centred roll moulded arched opening. Incised spandrels with eroded carved label stops. Renewed C19 tracery in west windows of nave and north aisle. C19 south porch, gabled with steeply sloping roof. Two-centred moulded arched opening with similar arch to south door. C19 south door with cover moulds.
Interior: C19 waggon roof to nave, north aisle, north and south transept and south porch. Reused carved bosses in C19 waggon roof to chancel. Four bay north arcade of Pentewan stone; tall shafts with unusual variation of type A (Pevsner) piers with moulding comprising two pronouced fillets to right and left of the deep hollow, tall bases slightly masked by raised floor, capitals decoratively carved and moulded four-centred arcade arches with pronouced crank at springing. Two-bay north east Colshull Chapel with decoratively carved arcade, moulded piers as in north aisle with hollows decoratively carved with hearaldic motifs, intertwined foliage, grapes and vine leaves so producing convex moulded shaft carved tall bases with quatrefoils in central panels and moulded four-centred arcade arches with central hollow chamfer. At east end, arcade arch rests on carved corbelled bracket of angels head. South transept arch similar to arcade arches of north aisle. North transept arch, slightly more pointed with heavy moulded arch. Tower arch blocked.
C19 furnishings. Oak seats in chancel and Colshull Chapel, from Balliol College, Oxford, donated in 1937. C19 pulpit. Late C19 reredos by Harry Hems of Exeter. Circa C15 octagonal font of granite; octagonal bowl, lead lined and decorated with quatrefoils in square panels. Baptistery with decorated marble pavement laid in 1900. Further font in north aisle, near north transept, known as St Cuby's Font. Circular granite font from holy well (qv St Cubys Well, B 3254). Possibly of pre-Christian origin and possibly carved with figures of griffin and dolphin. Holy water stoup to west of south door. Square in plan with decorated carved panels with bulbous foliage. Possibly late C14.
In chancel, piscina with cusped arch with projecting basin carved with quatrefoils. North transept probably added in C16. Reset circa late C15 carved parclose screen, probably part of rood screen. Incorporates symbols of saints and Colshull family arms. Four bays with first, second and fourth bays with carved three-light Perpendicular traceried openings. Moulded base with cusped lights below with later panelling. Partly restored in circa C19. Colshull Chapel with circa late C15 carved parclose screen. Four bays with three-light Perpendicular traceried openings at junction with north aisle. Elaborately carved with intertwined foliage and decorated with shields. Screen of three panels, each of four-light continues to east in first bay of arcade dividing chantry chapel from chancel. Perpendicular tracery with plain later panels below.
Memorials: large number of fine memorials in Colshull Chapel. Vault beneath Colshull Chapel used for burials until 1889. Recumbent effigy of knight in plate armour, Sir John Colshull who died in 1485. Second richest man in Cornwall. Decorated with carved panels with quatrefoils and shields. On west end has relief of crucifixion. Inscription Johe's Colshull 1483 around margin of tablet. Beneath north window table tomb of John Killiow of Westnorth (qv Westnorth Manor), died 1610 and wife Dorothy Trevelyan who died in 1600 and whose arms are impaled with those of her husband on panel above tomb. Strapwork decoration. Three slate memorials: to Anna Coffyn, died 1592, in Elizabethan dress holding gloves and book. Two shields in spandrels with skull below: To Maria Arundel, died in 1629, daughter of Thomas Arundel and niece of Sir John Arundel who defended Pendennis Castle, Falmouth. Verse with anagram of name 'Man a dry laurel'. Below east window of chapel, slate with two Elizabethan ladies with their families. Well carved. Other memorials include one to Henry Bewes by William Adran, 1793, signed 'Adran Fect London'. Well executed with relief of woman with portrait medallion of dead man. Also to Vice Admiral Sir Edward Buller, Bart of Trenant Park (qv Trenant) 1764-1824, sarcophagus with urn and heraldic arms. Also to Jeremiah Miles, 1746; to Isac Miles, rectory St Pinnock, 1766; Johannis Ogilvie, 1839; John Grigg of Bodbrane (qv Bodbrane) died 1792, Martha Nicholas Grigg died 1810; Thomas Bewes, died 1857 and Edward Bewes died 1806.
Glass; two windows in south wall of chancel in memory of Rev. P Bush, who was responsible for the restoration of church, and his wife. 1893 one of David, St Paul and Isaiah. The other of Faith, Charity and Hope which is signed in the right-hand corner with signature of three bees, probably by Percy Bacon and Brothers. Former rector, Rev. Robert Scott, partner with Liddell in production of the Greek Lexicon.
Church stands on a Lan.
Listing NGR: SX2349858183
