Tintagel Parish Church
Encyclopedia
The Parish Church of Saint Materiana
at Tintagel
is an Anglican church in Cornwall
, UK. It stands on the cliffs between Trevena and Tintagel Castle and is listed Grade I.
The first church on the site was probably in the 6th century, founded as a daughter church of Minster
: these are the only churches dedicated to the saint, though she is usually identified with Madryn, Princess of Gwent.
(writing in 1950) suggested that its Norman-era design includes some Saxon features, while the tower may be 13th or 15th century in date. The most significant change in its design was the restoration
in 1870 by Piers St Aubyn
which included a new roof. Later changes include moving the organ (twice) and a number of new stained glass windows: many of these portray saints, including St Materiana, St George and St Piran. There are three modern copies of Old Master paintings, and a Roman milestone bearing the name of the Emperor Licinius (d. 324). The tower has a peal of six bells, ranging in date from 1735 to 1945.
: each of the four faces is carved with snakes and each corner with a head. Three of the windows are Norman: the largest of the others portrays St George. The walls of the central tower space (between the transepts) were planned to support a tower but this was either never built or afterwards removed as unsafe. The stone coffin lid may commemorate a priest and is of the late 13th century.
from the window behind it. Symphorian, contrary to tradition, is portrayed as a bishop, and his supposed connection with this area seems to be a mistake made by John Leland in writing about the churches of Forrabury and Tintagel. The north window commemorates John Douglas Cook, editor of the Saturday Review
journalist, who is buried in the churchyard nearby.
The south transept is somewhat longer than the north and may have been lengthened to contain a tomb. A stone bench runs round part of the walls from the time when no other seating was provided in churches. The Roman inscribed stone is of the early 4th century and was found built into the western gateway of the churchyard in 1889. The memorial brass is for Joan (d. 1430s?), mother of John Kelly who was vicar here 1407-1427 and afterwards dean of Crantock. Originally placed under the altar, it was moved to the end of the transept in 1871.
The tower at the west end was built in the 14th century and battlements were added in the 15th. The five older bells are dated 1735, 1785, 1828, and two 1868: the sixth was added in 1945. The tenor bell weighs 7-0-10. The west window has modern armorial stained glass depicting coats of arms connected with the history of this parish.
The most interesting memorials are the tomb of John Douglas Cook, founder editor of the Saturday Review
(d. 1868) north-west of the church, and the wooden cross over the grave of Domenico Catanese (d. 1893) to the east. (On December 20, 1893 at Lye Rock the barque Iota was driven against the cliff. The crew were able to get onto the rock and apart from a youth of 14 were saved: his grave is marked by a wooden cross (the name is given in the official Italian usage, surname first: Catanese Domenico, on a lifebuoy).
The jacket illustration for J. L. Carr
's A Month in the Country shows Tintagel Parish Church whereas the story is set in Yorkshire. The grave outside the churchyard wall was suggested by Tintagel where a number of early graves were encountered in ploughing Trecarne Lands and excavated in 1956. They were dated most probably between 500 and 1000 AD by the county archaeologist.
).
Select list of Vicars since 1850
Saint Materiana
Saint Materiana is a Welsh saint and princess of the 5th century who is patron of two churches in Cornwall and one in Wales. Alternative spellings are Madrun, Madryn, Merthiana, and Mertheriana: the name was corrupted to Marcelliana in medieval times...
at Tintagel
Tintagel
Tintagel is a civil parish and village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The population of the parish is 1,820 people, and the area of the parish is ....
is an Anglican church in 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...
, UK. It stands on the cliffs between Trevena and Tintagel Castle and is listed Grade I.
The first church on the site was probably in the 6th century, founded as a daughter church of Minster
Forrabury and Minster
Forrabury and Minster is a civil parish on the north coast of Cornwall. The parish was originally divided between the coastal parish of Forrabury and inland parish of Minster until they were united in 1779....
: these are the only churches dedicated to the saint, though she is usually identified with Madryn, Princess of Gwent.
Present building
The existing church may have been created in the late 11th or early 12th century. Art historian Nikolaus PevsnerNikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
(writing in 1950) suggested that its Norman-era design includes some Saxon features, while the tower may be 13th or 15th century in date. The most significant change in its design was the restoration
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 1870 by Piers 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:...
which included a new roof. Later changes include moving the organ (twice) and a number of new stained glass windows: many of these portray saints, including St Materiana, St George and St Piran. There are three modern copies of Old Master paintings, and a Roman milestone bearing the name of the Emperor Licinius (d. 324). The tower has a peal of six bells, ranging in date from 1735 to 1945.
Nave
Both north and south doorways are Norman, the north cruder and perhaps earlier than the south. The north porch is probably 14th century and the south porch a later rebuilding of a 13th century porch. The font is Norman, rather crudely carved in elvanElvan
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...
: each of the four faces is carved with snakes and each corner with a head. Three of the windows are Norman: the largest of the others portrays St George. The walls of the central tower space (between the transepts) were planned to support a tower but this was either never built or afterwards removed as unsafe. The stone coffin lid may commemorate a priest and is of the late 13th century.
Chancel
The rood screen (which would have had access to the loft on the south side) is of the 15th century but the canopy has been removed, probably at the Reformation. The recess in the south wall is known as the Founder's Tomb and is probably of the 14th century. The east window which is recent is a memorial to Fr. Canner, vicar 1950-1976. On the north wall is a statue of the patron saint in memory of Parson Chapman, vicar 1894-1916. The chapel on the north side of the chancel is the old Lady Chapel, which is very hard to date: though it must be later than the chancel it contains a mediaeval stone altar. The recess on the north side was formerly the site of the organ but has more recently been used as a vestry.Transepts
The altar in the north transept is modern and was originally dedicated to All Saints but it is now generally known by the name of St SymphorianSymphorian and Timotheus
Saints Timotheus and Symphorian are venerated together as saints by the Catholic Church and share the same feast day , though the lives of the two saints are not related.-Timotheus:...
from the window behind it. Symphorian, contrary to tradition, is portrayed as a bishop, and his supposed connection with this area seems to be a mistake made by John Leland in writing about the churches of Forrabury and Tintagel. The north window commemorates John Douglas Cook, editor of the Saturday Review
Saturday Review (London)
The Saturday Review of politics, literature, science, and art was a London weekly newspaper established by A. J. B. Beresford Hope in 1855....
journalist, who is buried in the churchyard nearby.
The south transept is somewhat longer than the north and may have been lengthened to contain a tomb. A stone bench runs round part of the walls from the time when no other seating was provided in churches. The Roman inscribed stone is of the early 4th century and was found built into the western gateway of the churchyard in 1889. The memorial brass is for Joan (d. 1430s?), mother of John Kelly who was vicar here 1407-1427 and afterwards dean of Crantock. Originally placed under the altar, it was moved to the end of the transept in 1871.
Tower
Churchyard
This is unusually large for a churchyard in Cornwall though it has apparently been extended three times. To the east of the older part (which is approximately circular in shape) are areas which came into use probably in the early 19th and mid-20th centuries. The north-east part was previously part of the Trecarne Lands. The churchyard cross and the war memorial are both modern and formed of granite. All the pre-Victorian gravestones are of local slate: the earliest of them are between 1690 and 1710. There were excavations here in 1990 and 1991 (north-west of the church).The most interesting memorials are the tomb of John Douglas Cook, founder editor of the Saturday Review
Saturday Review (London)
The Saturday Review of politics, literature, science, and art was a London weekly newspaper established by A. J. B. Beresford Hope in 1855....
(d. 1868) north-west of the church, and the wooden cross over the grave of Domenico Catanese (d. 1893) to the east. (On December 20, 1893 at Lye Rock the barque Iota was driven against the cliff. The crew were able to get onto the rock and apart from a youth of 14 were saved: his grave is marked by a wooden cross (the name is given in the official Italian usage, surname first: Catanese Domenico, on a lifebuoy).
The jacket illustration for J. L. Carr
J. L. Carr
Joseph Lloyd Carr ; who called himself "Jim" or even "James," was an English novelist, publisher, teacher, and eccentric.-Biography:...
's A Month in the Country shows Tintagel Parish Church whereas the story is set in Yorkshire. The grave outside the churchyard wall was suggested by Tintagel where a number of early graves were encountered in ploughing Trecarne Lands and excavated in 1956. They were dated most probably between 500 and 1000 AD by the county archaeologist.
Parish registers
The parish registers begin for burials in 1546, for baptisms in 1569 and for marriages in 1588. (Register entries up to 1668 were all written by a single scribe copying the previous records.)Vicars
The earliest recorded vicar was Gervase de Truueru in 1259; the longest serving Gerance Davye, 1581–1629; and the second longest Richard Byrn Kinsman, 1851-1894. The patrons of the benefice since 1534 have been the Dean and Canons of Windsor. The patronage belonged in the 13th and 14th centuries to the French abbey at Fontevrault (now known as Fontevraud-l'AbbayeFontevraud-l'Abbaye
Fontevraud-l'Abbaye is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. It is situated both in the Loire Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Site between Chalonnes-sur-Loire and Sully-sur-Loire, and the Loire Anjou Touraine French regional natural park.-External links:****...
).
Select list of Vicars since 1850
- Richard Byrn Kinsman, 1851 - 1894 (also honorary constable of the castle and honorary canon of ExeterExeter CathedralExeter Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon in South West England....
) - Arthur Grieg Chapman, 1894–1916
- Archibald B. Blissard-Barnes, 1920–1938
- Arthur C. Canner, 1950 - 1976 (also curate 1941 - 1945)
- David Rake, 1996–2008