In 2019 we met at St Michael Penkivel to hear the most enlightening talk by John Allan, who is the Exeter Cathedral archaeologist. John had us riveted for over an hour as he explained how during the Decorated period c.1250-1350 work down in this part of Cornwall was as elaborate in design assome of the work undertaken at Exeter and Wells, the leading Gothic-style in Europe at the time. Although not on the same scale the use of ‘S’ shaped tracery and elaborate curvilinear designs can be found in many of Cornwall’s parish churches such as St Michael Penkivel and also agroup in South East Cornwall centred on St Germans, St Ive and Sheviock. Nick Jeans also made a short presentation about St Michael Penkivel church, pointing out the face of William Morris planted on the little devil figure in the bottom left corner of the East window – a jest by the artist who did not credit Morris with the respect he enjoyed at the time.

Notes from the talk

CORNISH CHURCHES IN THE DECORATED STYLE, c. 1260–1350

Although most Cornish churches are mainly or entirely in the Perpendicular style, there is more Dec work in Cornwall than is often appreciated, & any judgment of the achievements of this period needs to bear in mind the fundamental point that the most important work has been destroyed.

Monastic sites with important building programmes in this period

The two most ambitious works of the period were those at Launceston Priory and Glasney College, Penryn. Both have been demolished and are known only from excavated remains, including their architectural fragments.

Glasney was closely related to the Exeter Cathedral, both in design and building stones, including work closely related to two major national figures: THOMAS WITNEY and WILLIAM JOY.

Launceston Priory shows more mixed connections. The rib profiles are close to work at Bristol, the likely source of architect, since this was a house of the Augustinian Canons, but the choir screen and floor-tiles are Exeter works, and Exeter was surely the source of its remarkably complex tracery.

Parish churches with stylistic links to Exeter Cathedral

St Ive Closest and perhaps the most important survival, probably resulting from the connections of Bartholomew de Castro, the ‘right-hand-man’ of Bishop Grandisson.

Related to this, a group of works, mainly in south-east Cornwall with closely related features of c. 1325–50: South Hill, Sheviock, Tywardreath St Germans and St Michael Penkevil. Also linked to this group: the ?shrine arch at St Neot;

St Columb Major – surprisingly ambitious, the caps very similar to those at Exeter Cathedral .

Other parish churches with ambitious work

Lostwithiel, now the most impressive example of the Dec style in Cornwall.

Bodmin ?charnel chapel

Other more modest works, rather overlooked, include Saltash

Spires – St Enodoc, Cubert, Rame, St Minver, Gerrans, etc.

 

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allan, J.P. 2009 ‘Notes towards an architectural history of Launceston Priory’, Exeter Archaeological Report, 09.58.

––––– 2017 ‘Exeter Cathedral and church architecture in Cornwall in the early 14th century’ in Holden, P. (ed.) New Research on Cornish Architecture: Celebrating Pevsner (London: F. Boutle), 49–64.

––––– & Blaylock, S. 2016 ‘The architectural fragments’ in Cole, D. ‘Excavations at Glasney College, Penryn’, Cornish Archaeol. 55, 89–100.

Beacham, P. and Pevsner, N. 2014 The Buildings of England: Cornwall (3rd edition), New Haven and London: Yale University Press.

Cole, D. 2016 ‘Excavations at Glasney College, Penryn’, Cornish Archaeol. 55, 65–117.

Daniel, S.V. n.d. [c.1972?] The Story of Cornwall’s Churches, Truro: Tor Mark Press.

Gossip, J. 2002 St Thomas’ Priory, Launceston, Cornwall, Cornwall Archaeological Unit Report, 2002R004.

Henderson, C. 1964 Cornish Church Guide and Parochial History of Cornwall (reprint of first edition of 1925), Truro: Bradford Barton.

Hingeston-Randolph, F.C. 1894–9 The Register of John de Grandisson, Bishop of Exeter, Part I (London, 1894), Part II (London, 1897): 1331–1360; Part III (Exeter, 1899): 1360–1369.

Mattingly, J. 2005 Looking at Cornish Churches, Redruth: Tor Mark Press.

Orme, N. 2007 Cornwall and the Cross, Christianity 500–1560, Chichester: Phillimore.

––––– 2010 Victoria County History, Cornwall II: Religious History to 1560, Woodbridge: Institute of Historical Research/Boydell and Brewer.

Peter, O.B. 1889 Launceston Priory: the Substance of a Lecture, 7th January, 1889, (Launceston).

–––––– 1892 ‘Excavations on the Site of Launceston Priory’, J. Roy. Institution Cornwall 11, 1–6.

Street, G.E. 1853 ‘On the distinctive features of the Middle Pointed Churches of Cornwall’, Transactions of the Exeter Diocesan Architectural Society (1853), ser.1, vol.4, 86–102.

Window tracery. (a) Exeter Cathedral, west window; (b–d) St Ive; (e–g) Sheviock; (h) South Hill; (i) St Germans; (j) Tywardreath; (k–l) St Michael Penkevil.