Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist, Morwenstow
Encyclopedia
The Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist, Morwenstow is in the parish of Morwenstow
, north Cornwall
, United Kingdom
, the most northerly in Cornwall. The church is dedicated to Morwenna
, a local saint, and to John the Baptist
, and is a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church
in the diocese of Truro
, the archdeaconry of Bodmin and the deanery of Stratton. Its benefice
is combined with that of St James, Kilkhampton.
From 1835 to 1874 the vicar of the parish was Rev. R. S. Hawker
, poet
and antiquary who is credited with creating the modern form of the harvest festival
church service to give thanks for a good harvest in 1842. It stands in a remote position near cliffs on the north coast of Cornwall. Amongst the tombs and gravestones in the churchyard is the preserved figurehead
from a ship which was wrecked nearby.
, it is believed that an earlier Saxon
church stood on the site. At some time before 1291 the advowson
was granted to St John's Hospital at Bridgwater by the Bishop of Exeter
. In a document dated 1296, the church was referred to as an "old and well-known structure". Additions to the church were made in the 13th, 15th and 16th centuries. The church was restored
in the 1850s under the direction of Parson Hawker when the box pew
s were removed and the wooden shingles
on the roof were replaced. A further restoration took place in the 1870s, probably by J. P. St Aubyn
. A vestry was added in 1887 and there were further restorations in 1904 and 1908. The colouring of the chancel roof was restored in 1934.
but some dressed stone is present. The arcades dating from the 12th and 13th centuries are made from local dunstone, the 15th century arcade is constructed from polyphant
, and the 16th- century piers and arches are in granite
. The plan of the church consists of a west tower, a nave and chancel, five-bay north and south arcades, a south porch and a northeast vestry. The tower has three stages. It is built in rubble with granite for the long and short quoin
s, the string course, embattled
parapet
, and the tall corner pinnacle
s with crocket
ted finial
s. The doorway to the porch consists of the outer order of a Norman doorway which has been moved from elsewhere. It includes zigzag carving and flowers carved in heavy relief
. The doorway to the church itself consists of the inner two orders of the Norman doorway with zigzag carving on both orders. On the capitals
are carved birds and pine cones. Internally the westerly three bays of the north arcade are Norman and include zigzag carving and a carved ram's head. The two easterly arcades are Transitional. The south arcade is mainly Perpendicular in style.
tracery
above Renaissance
arabesque
s. One pew end is inscribed with "T.K.", for Rev. Thomas Kempthorne, who was vicar from 1539 to 1594; another has the date of 1575. The Norman font
is roughly shaped with ropework decoration beneath a plain bowl. The pulpit
dates from the 20th century and incorporates some earlier woodwork as blind tracery. The chancel screen which was initially constructed by Parson Hawker was removed after his death and then replaced in 1908. It is made from fragments of 16th and 17th carving. In the chancel is a large reredos
dated 1908 which was designed by E. H. Sedding
and carved by the Pinwill sisters of Plymouth
. It contains a cartoon
by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta
and three engravings by John-Baptist Jackson. In the south wall of the chancel is a piscina
and on the north wall is a fragment of a mural painting dating from the late 15th or early 16th century. The painting depicts a female holding a scroll in her left hand with her right arm raised in blessing over a kneeling monk and is thought to represent St Morwenna. In the church are a number of tomb chests and memorials. One of the memorials is a large slate plate in the floor beside the pulpit to the memory of Hawker's first wife, Charlotte, who died in 1863. At the west end of the church is a 17th century communion table. In the south aisle is the Hawker memorial window by Lavers and Westlake
which was erected in 1904. It depicts Parson Hawker and his dog, the church and various other features associated with him.
of London in 1892 and rebuilt by Geo. Osmond of Taunton
in 1969.
is of six bells. Four of these were cast by Abel Rudhall
in 1753, the other two being by Mears & Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
dated 1902.
Associated with the church are a number of structures listed Grade II. In the churchyard are a number of headstone
s and tomb chests. Also in the churchyard is a granite Celtic cross
which is said to have been moved from a nearby moor by Parson Hawker to commemorate the death of his first wife, Charlotte. Her initials C. E. H. are carved on the shaft. Elsewhere in the churchyard is a carved and painted wooden figurehead
depicting the figure of Caledonia holding a drawn sword and shield. It is the figurehead of The Caledonia
, a Scottish brig
which was shipwrecked off Morwenstow in 1843 and is erected to the memory of its captain and crew who are buried nearby. At the entry to the churchyard are an adjoining stile
, a lychgate
and a former mortuary
. The stile dates from the 19th century. It is constructed in freestone ashlar and slate and was probably designed by Parson Hawker. The lychgate, which is wooden with a slate roof, was built in 1641 and extensively repaired in 1738. The former mortuary, which is now used as a store, is a stone building which was used for laying out the corpses of drowned sailors. In a corner of the vicarage garden about 125 metres from the church is the holy well
of St John over which is a medieval well house; its water has been used for baptisms for hundreds of years. This is a rectangular stone building with a timber door and a steeply gabled stone roof with a flat ridge. Further from the church, to its west, and 14 metres down the cliff face is the holy well of St Morwenna. Its well house also originates from the medieval period and it consists of a dressed stone-gabled structure built into the side of the cliff. Nearby on the coast path is Hawker's Hut
, constructed by Parson Hawker from driftwood
. It is owned and managed by the National Trust
.
Morwenstow
thumb|Parish Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist, MorwenstowMorwenstow is a civil parish and hamlet in north Cornwall, United Kingdom. The hamlet is situated near the coast approximately six miles north of Bude....
, north Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the most northerly in Cornwall. The church is dedicated to Morwenna
Morwenna
Saint Morwenna was an early 6th century saint from Morwenstow in Cornwall.Her name at Marhamchurch is recorded as Marwenne and she is also the patron saint of Lamorran. Morwenna is said to have been one of the many children of King Brychan of Brycheiniog...
, a local saint, and to John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
, and is a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the diocese of Truro
Diocese of Truro
The Diocese of Truro is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury.-Geography and history:The diocese's area is that of the county of Cornwall including the Isles of Scilly. It was formed on 15 December 1876 from the Archdeaconry of Cornwall in the Diocese of Exeter, it is thus one...
, the archdeaconry of Bodmin and the deanery of Stratton. Its benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
is combined with that of St James, Kilkhampton.
From 1835 to 1874 the vicar of the parish was Rev. R. S. Hawker
Robert Stephen Hawker
Robert Stephen Hawker was an Anglican priest, poet, antiquarian of Cornwall and reputed eccentric. He is best known as the writer of The Song of the Western Men with its chorus line of And shall Trelawny die? / Here's twenty thousand Cornish men / will know the reason why!, which he published...
, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and antiquary who is credited with creating the modern form of the harvest festival
Harvest festival
A Harvest Festival is an annual celebration which occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times throughout the world...
church service to give thanks for a good harvest in 1842. It stands in a remote position near cliffs on the north coast of Cornwall. Amongst the tombs and gravestones in the churchyard is the preserved figurehead
Figurehead
A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and 19th century.-History:Although earlier ships had often had some form of bow ornamentation A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and...
from a ship which was wrecked nearby.
History
Although the earliest fabric in the present church is NormanNorman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
, it is believed that an earlier Saxon
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
church stood on the site. At some time before 1291 the advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
was granted to St John's Hospital at Bridgwater by the Bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
. In a document dated 1296, the church was referred to as an "old and well-known structure". Additions to the church were made in the 13th, 15th and 16th centuries. The church was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in the 1850s under the direction of Parson Hawker when the box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s were removed and the wooden shingles
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
on the roof were replaced. A further restoration took place in the 1870s, probably by J. P. St Aubyn
James Piers St Aubyn
James Piers St Aubyn , often referred to as J. P. St Aubyn, was an English architect of the Victorian era, known for his church architecture and confident restorations.-Early life:...
. A vestry was added in 1887 and there were further restorations in 1904 and 1908. The colouring of the chancel roof was restored in 1934.
Structure
The church is built in stone with 19th-century slate roofs. Most of the stone is rubbleRubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
but some dressed stone is present. The arcades dating from the 12th and 13th centuries are made from local dunstone, the 15th century arcade is constructed from polyphant
Elvan
Elvan is a name used in Cornwall and Devon for the native varieties of quartz-porphyry. They are dispersed irregularly in the Upper Devonian series of rocks and some of them make very fine building stones...
, and the 16th- century piers and arches are in granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. The plan of the church consists of a west tower, a nave and chancel, five-bay north and south arcades, a south porch and a northeast vestry. The tower has three stages. It is built in rubble with granite for the long and short quoin
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
s, the string course, embattled
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
, and the tall corner pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s with crocket
Crocket
A crocket is a hook-shaped decorative element common in Gothic architecture. It is in the form of a stylised carving of curled leaves, buds or flowers which is used at regular intervals to decorate the sloping edges of spires, finials, pinnacles, and wimpergs....
ted finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s. The doorway to the porch consists of the outer order of a Norman doorway which has been moved from elsewhere. It includes zigzag carving and flowers carved in heavy relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
. The doorway to the church itself consists of the inner two orders of the Norman doorway with zigzag carving on both orders. On the capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
are carved birds and pine cones. Internally the westerly three bays of the north arcade are Norman and include zigzag carving and a carved ram's head. The two easterly arcades are Transitional. The south arcade is mainly Perpendicular in style.
Fittings and furniture
The pew ends are carved with GothicGothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
above Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
arabesque
Arabesque
The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements...
s. One pew end is inscribed with "T.K.", for Rev. Thomas Kempthorne, who was vicar from 1539 to 1594; another has the date of 1575. The Norman font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is roughly shaped with ropework decoration beneath a plain bowl. The pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
dates from the 20th century and incorporates some earlier woodwork as blind tracery. The chancel screen which was initially constructed by Parson Hawker was removed after his death and then replaced in 1908. It is made from fragments of 16th and 17th carving. In the chancel is a large reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
dated 1908 which was designed by E. H. Sedding
Edmund Harold Sedding
Edmund Harold Sedding was an English architect who practised in Devon and Cornwall. He was the son of Edmund Sedding and the nephew of J. D. Sedding. He was articled to his uncle, and initially employed by him, later setting up his own independent practice in Plymouth in 1891...
and carved by the Pinwill sisters of Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. It contains a cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta was an Italian rococo painter of religious subjects and genre scenes.-Biography:...
and three engravings by John-Baptist Jackson. In the south wall of the chancel is a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
and on the north wall is a fragment of a mural painting dating from the late 15th or early 16th century. The painting depicts a female holding a scroll in her left hand with her right arm raised in blessing over a kneeling monk and is thought to represent St Morwenna. In the church are a number of tomb chests and memorials. One of the memorials is a large slate plate in the floor beside the pulpit to the memory of Hawker's first wife, Charlotte, who died in 1863. At the west end of the church is a 17th century communion table. In the south aisle is the Hawker memorial window by Lavers and Westlake
Lavers, Barraud and Westlake
Lavers, Barraud and Westlake were an English firm that produced stained glass windows from 1855 until 1921. They were part of the Gothic Revival movement that affected English church architecture in the 19th century.-History:...
which was erected in 1904. It depicts Parson Hawker and his dog, the church and various other features associated with him.
Organ
The organ was built by J. W. Walker & Sons LtdJ. W. Walker & Sons Ltd
J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd is a British firm of organ builders established in 1828 by Joseph William Walker in London. Walker organs were popular additions to churches during the Gothic Revival era of church building and restoration in Victorian Britain, and instruments built by Walker are found in...
of London in 1892 and rebuilt by Geo. Osmond of Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
in 1969.
Bells
The ringRing of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
is of six bells. Four of these were cast by Abel Rudhall
Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester was a family business of bell founders in the city of Gloucester, England, who between 1684 and 1835 produced over 5,000 bells. The business was founded by Abraham Rudhall and the earliest ring of bells he cast was for St Nicholas' Church, Oddington in 1684. He came to be...
in 1753, the other two being by Mears & Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
dated 1902.
External features
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
s and tomb chests. Also in the churchyard is a granite Celtic cross
Celtic cross
A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
which is said to have been moved from a nearby moor by Parson Hawker to commemorate the death of his first wife, Charlotte. Her initials C. E. H. are carved on the shaft. Elsewhere in the churchyard is a carved and painted wooden figurehead
Figurehead
A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and 19th century.-History:Although earlier ships had often had some form of bow ornamentation A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and...
depicting the figure of Caledonia holding a drawn sword and shield. It is the figurehead of The Caledonia
The Caledonia (brig)
The Caledonia was a brig of some 200 tons, built in Arbroath, Scotland, and wrecked on September 7, 1843 on Sharpnose Point, near Morwenstow, Cornwall.-Final voyage:...
, a Scottish brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
which was shipwrecked off Morwenstow in 1843 and is erected to the memory of its captain and crew who are buried nearby. At the entry to the churchyard are an adjoining stile
Stile
A stile is a structure which provides people a passage through or over a fence or boundary via steps, ladders, or narrow gaps. Stiles are often built in rural areas or along footpaths to allow access to an adjacent field or area separated by a fence, wall or hedge...
, a lychgate
Lychgate
A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, or as two separate words lych gate, is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.-Name:...
and a former mortuary
Morgue
A morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
. The stile dates from the 19th century. It is constructed in freestone ashlar and slate and was probably designed by Parson Hawker. The lychgate, which is wooden with a slate roof, was built in 1641 and extensively repaired in 1738. The former mortuary, which is now used as a store, is a stone building which was used for laying out the corpses of drowned sailors. In a corner of the vicarage garden about 125 metres from the church is the holy well
Holy well
A holy well, or sacred spring, is a small body of water emerging from underground and revered either in a Pagan or Christian context, often both. Holy wells were frequently pagan sacred sites that later became Christianized. The term 'holy well' is commonly employed to refer to any water source of...
of St John over which is a medieval well house; its water has been used for baptisms for hundreds of years. This is a rectangular stone building with a timber door and a steeply gabled stone roof with a flat ridge. Further from the church, to its west, and 14 metres down the cliff face is the holy well of St Morwenna. Its well house also originates from the medieval period and it consists of a dressed stone-gabled structure built into the side of the cliff. Nearby on the coast path is Hawker's Hut
Hawker's Hut
Hawker's Hut is a historic hut at Morwenstow, Cornwall originally built by the eccentric clergyman, poet and antiquarian, Robert Stephen Hawker , close to Higher Sharpnose Point. The hut is located approximately 1 mile from Morwenstow Church.The hut is mainly of timber construction and is partially...
, constructed by Parson Hawker from driftwood
Driftwood
Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea or river by the action of winds, tides, waves or man. It is a form of marine debris or tidewrack....
. It is owned and managed by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.