Cornwall Historic Churches Trust

CHURCH OF THE MONTH

St Moran, Lamorran

While the term “bats in the belfry” has become a euphemism for eccentric behaviour, in the tiny hamlet of Lamorran, the literal threat is only too real. A freestanding belfry is home to one of Devon and Cornwall’s few populations of greater horseshoe bats – but their roost is just the tip of the iceberg.

The main church building has been adopted as a “des res” by two colonies: brown long-eared bats, and common pipistrelle and soprano pipistrelle bats. The church has received a sizeable grant of £129,000 of Heritage Lottery Funding through the Bats in Churches (BiC) project. The money will be used to create two bat lofts in the north and south transepts, linked by a crawlway; and to seal the shiplap timber roof, whose narrow gaps provide all the access the bats need.

Treasures include the Norman font, carved from catacleuse stone from Harlyn Bay on Cornwall's north coast; stunning stained-glass windows; and a carved slate memorial to John Verman dated 1658. This was partially obscured by a false wooden floor, which will be removed and replaced with something more faithful to the original.  

Work such as this, and replastering, is not related to the bat project. As such, a further £84,000 is required. Last week, Cornwall Historic Churches Trust confirmed grant funding of £5,000.

Taken from an article by Kirstie Newton, published across The Voice newspaper titles on February 17, 2021