Date of Completion
March and August 2006
Name of Volunteer
Margaret Gadsden and Lesley Trotter
Grid Reference
SW 7387 4010
Status (In use/redundant – open/closed)
In use – locked but open to visitors during summer months Tues, Thurs and Sat 204 p.m. Vicar’s telephone number given.
Guide Book/sheet/tablet?
Colour photocopied information leaflet (fee); Anon, Gwennap Parish Church – Information Leaflet undated.
A4 photocopied fact sheet (20p).
Stained Glass Windows
None
Bench Ends
None
Chapels
No. 1 Holy Trinity Chapel, St Day (Site of)
Location SW 7289 4261
Nature of Location Site now occupied by Trevean Cottage and front garden of Trinity Cottage,
Buckingham Place, St Day
Surviving Remains (if any) Two fragments of window tracery incorporated into porch, and small fragments in wall, of neighbouring Trinity House.
Worked stone identified as mediaeval door-jamb found on site in 2000 & moved to St Day Old Church.
Large crocketted pinnacle and fragment of window tracery in grounds of Scorrier House.
Possible doorway also in gardens of Scorrier Houses
Chapel, No. 2 Unknown poss. ‘Gwennap Ground’
Location Tithe map shows fields called Chapel Close and Chapel Moor (SW 743 401) at Tresamble next to footpath to Gwennap Church. Reputed site of chapel and burial ground. Henderson claimed to have found foundations (see James p45). Chapel and enclosure called ‘Gwennap Ground’ confiscated by Elizabeth I (but thought to be south of parish church) mentioned in Schwartz & Parker’s book on Lanner.
Nature of Location Wooded copse next to stream – uphill of ‘Holy Well of St Gwennap’
Surviving Remains (if any) Small stone wall enclosures but no visible sign of buildings - but very overgrown.
Chapel, No. 3 Unknown – Lanner
Location: Chapel Hill, Lanner – traditional site of chapel associated with two crosses found nearby and now in Lanner churchyard. (James p45-6). OS map shows small enclosure at SW715 393.
Nature of Location In fields
Surviving Remains (if any) (Not accessible)
Holy Wells
No. 1 Holy Well of St Gwennap
Location: OS 204: 741 403
Nature of Location: 600 yards east of Gwennap Church in field at base of round hill.
Surviving remains: No visible masonry. Well appears to have been ‘capped’ by farmer – only visible sign is modern cover and surrounding moisture-loving vegetation. Some stonework in nearby ditch may be associated with well. (Photo Gwennap 1)
No.2 Figgy Dowd’s or Margery Dowd’s well
Location OS 203 715 406
Nature of Location: Carn Marth. On right leading off main rack, going to top of Carn Marth. Open hillside beside bridleway. Very overgrown so difficult to find. Steep stone steps down to well are located on downhill side of bridleway about halfway between entrance to open air theatre and blockwork wall to west.
Surviving Remains: 10 steps curve down from track which leads to swampy base. Well cut into hill on right. Granite slab forms 4½’ lentil. Imposing structure of granite with beehive roof and slightly corbelled back wall. Shallow clear water at base. Locked gate in front. 4½’ high, 4’ deep. Granite step at entrance. In front of well to the left of the steps stones form a semi-circle to indicate a possible wall. An ancient well but no date given. According to occupier of nearby house, some restoration work and installation of a grill has taken place in recent past but there is no regular maintenance or clearing of vegetation. (Photo Gwennap2)
Crosses
Name Chapel Moor Cross
Location Now: south side of Gwennap Church (SW 7389 4011)
Original: Chapel Moor, Tresamble, Gwennap (SW 743 401)
Nature of Location Now: churchyard
Original: associated with reputed chapel site – see chapel 3
Surviving Remains (if any) Cross head and shaft re-united (Photo: Gwennap3)
Cross, No. 2
Name Cross head at St Day
Location Now: Near Western entrance to St Day Churchyard (SW 7294 4247)
Original: Unknown – found 1936 near Chenals Farm,
[Chenhale Farm, Carharrack ?]
Nature of Location Now: churchyard
Surviving Remains (if any) Cross head (Photo: Gwennap4)
(shaft reputed to have been thrown down mine shaft in 1930s)
Cross, No. 3
Name Scorrier No 1 (AKA Ting Tang Cross)
Location Now: grounds of Scorrier House (SW 7290 4270)
Original: Uncertain – Suggested it to be Penhalvyngan Cross marking boundary between Trevince and Cusgarne (Trevarth Common / Ting Tang).
Nature of Location private grounds
Surviving Remains (if any) Complete cross (Photo: Gwennap5)
Cross, No. 4
Name Scorrier No 2
Location Now: grounds of Scorrier House (SW 7243 4372)
Original: Half-way House, beside Helston to Penryn road
Nature of Location private grounds
Surviving Remains (if any) Complete cross but rapidly becoming obscured by shrubs
(Photo: Gwennap6)
Cross, No. 5
Name Lannarth No 1
Location Now: NW side Lannarth Churchyard, Lanner (SW 7160 3987)
Original: Found at Tresavean side of Bell Farm (SW 72 39)
Nature of Location Now: churchyard
Surviving Remains (if any) Complete cross (Photo: Gwennap7)
Cross, No. 6
Name Lannarth No 2
Location Now: NE side Lannarth Churchyard, Lanner (SW 7160 3987)
Original: Found at Tredeague Farm (SW 72 38)
Nature of Location Now: churchyard
Surviving Remains (if any) Cross-head on modern shaft (Photo: Gwennap8.)
Cross, No. 7
Name Whitestile
Location Beside B3298 Truro to Falmouth Road (SW 7332 4047)
Location named on Gwennap Tithe Map
Nature of Location road side
Surviving Remains (if any) Possible cross shaft reputed built into stile
(but I couldn’t identify it)
Cross, No. 8
Name Lost cross shaft Gwennap Church
Location Now: Believed in foundations of vestry, Gwennap Church
Original: unknown
Nature of Location Buried
Cross, No. 9
Name St Day Cross
Location Now: Unknown – some speculation that it might have been one of the two crosses
at Tregullow later removed to Heanton Punchardon churchyard in North Devon.
Original: Junction Fore St and Telegraph St, St Day (SW 7290 4250) - shown on 1772 map
Nature of Location Unknown
None
Other Religious Sites
Site 1
Tradition of chapel at Skyburrier, West Trevarth (James p46).
Site 2
Suggestion that former Six Bells Inn, Gwennap Churchtown was on site of building used by monks (James p46).
Site 3
Suggestion that farm house at Little Carharrack was associated with pilgrims (James p46, Book of Carahrrack p 9).
Site 4
Rock on private ground behind Cardene in Carharrack reputed to have been venue for blessings or pilgrimages at Easter and Whitsun (Book of Carharrack p153 photo caption)
There are a large number of field names in Gwennap parish (shown on Tithe map) with possible cross associations particularly in the area between St Day and Carn Marth
Cross Park (SW 7140 4133) & Cross Close (SW 7140 4140) – adjoining fields to east of Cathedral Farm.
Grouse (SW 7162 4125) - SE and very near Cathedral Farm.
Cross Meadow (SW 7185 4110) - next to footpath East of Myrtle Farm.
Grouse Vean (SW 7184 4185) - very near Busveal.
Cross Meadow (SW 7245 4195), Cross Close (SW 7265 4195) & Cross Field (SW 7280 4190) – almost adjoining fields between Tolcarne and Little Carharrack and slightly further south, Cross Park (SW 7250 4170)
Cross Park (SW 7445 4035) – half mile NW of Gwennap church
Grouse Vean (SW 7184 4185) – near Busveal.
?Goose Field (SW 7145 4369) – next A393 near Treskerby.
Foundations of old bapistry at gate to holy well at St Gwennpa were no longer evident.
Fields close to church called Chapel Moor and Chapel Close SW741 403
There used to be a chapel in the parish which was a place of pilgrimage in the middle ages, called St Day, St Dye or St Trinity.
A Roman milestone found in 1941 at Carn Marth, dated AD 235
Carn Marth or Horse’s Rock is an ancient twin fortification to Carn Brea. Carn Martin is renowned for its barrow and beacon.
Books of Reference, Articles or others sources referred to
Paul Annear, Some Notes on the History of the Church and Chapel of the Holy Trinity St Day, pub by author, 1994, 3-12.
Carharrack Old Cornwall Society, The Book of Carharrack, Halsgrove, Devon, 2003, 9-10 &153.
The Cahill Partnership & Cornwall Archaeological Unit, Cornwall Industrial Settlements Initiative – St Day, Cornwall County Council, 2002, 31-34.
C. Henderson, ‘Holy Trinity Chapel at St Day’, Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries, 17, 1932, 349-353.
C.C. James, A History of the Parish of Gwennap in Cornwall, pub by author, c1949, 29-50.
Joseph Mills & Paul Annear, The Book of St Day, Halsgrove, Devon, 2003, 7-14.
Sharon P. Schwartz & Roger Parker, Tin Mines and Miners of Lanner, Halsgrove, Devon, 2001 (orig published as Lanner – a Cornish Mining Parish, Halgrove 1998)
Trotter, L. ‘To what extent does the archaeological evidence support current theories concerning the medieval Chapel of Holy Trinity, St Day, Cornwall’, ‘A’ Level Personal Study, 2006, deposited with Historic Environment Record, HES Cornwall County Council.
Parish Church of St Weneppa, Gwennap SW739401.
The church was build on a monastic foundation dating from 500 AD. It was dedicated to St Weneppa, a saintly woman from Celtic times. The building dates from C15. The south porch is transitiona, Norman with stone benches inside. The base of a Norman font is in the north aisle. The granite pillars have seven bays. An Ancient piscine in south wall. 15” x 15”. The belfry is detached from the church, probably C15 but may rest on Norman foundations. Original windows were sold.
Lesley Trotter/Margaret Gadsden Page Questionnaire
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