20th October 2014 - Of Towednack and Troths

Thought for the day: "I hate Russian Dolls - they are so full of themselves"

Finally managed to get some photographs loaded from the Cornwall trip - well the first 208 anyway. There are still a lot more to go, but it is a start ...

A bit of History ....
The church's patron saint is St Winwaloe who was a 6th century hermit on the Breton coast. He founded and was the first abbot of the monastery of Landévennec in Britanny and is buried there.
According to O.J. Padel, Winnow and Wednack are both diminutive forms of Winwaloe, and with the addition of the Middle Cornish word To (= Thy) becomes Towednack. There are other Winwaloe foundations in Cornwall, e.g. Landewednack, Gunwalloe, and he is also known in East Anglia. St Winwaloe's day is March 3rd, hence the East Anglian jingle:

First comes David, then comes Chad
Then comes Winnoe, roaring like mad.

The 13th century church was probably built on the site of a Celtic hermitage rather than to serve a village. With St Ives it was the daughter church of Lelant.

Towednack Parish Church

The church is characterised by its short, stunted, massive tower. Totally lacking in ornamentation, it was built in 1500.
Legend has it that once the tower had reached its present height, subsequent building work carried out during the day was destryed by the Devil during the hours of darkness. In due course the frustrated masons abandoned the task and hence there are no pinnacles - a feature that makes it unique in Penwith. The tower staircase is unusual, springing from the north-west angle of the nave within the church itself.

The only entrance is the South Porch giving access to the South Aisle, the Nave, and the Chancel.
The Arcade consists of five four-centred arches supported on three octagonal pillars.
The Nave and parts of the North wall are Norman. There was once a gallery at the West end of the nave. The South Aisle was added in 1460 and the Tower in 1500.
The Chancel Arch dates from the late 13th-14th century, and is unique in West Cornwall.

The Altar is on of the most striking features of the church, being rough hewn from a solid block of granite. It has five crosses incised at the centre and four corners (representing the five wounds of Christ).
It is late Norman and was probably thrown out at the Reformation which required that altars be of wood. At the beginning of the 20th century, the late H. Dunstan, Churchwarden, found it forming part of the wall at nearby Churchtown Farm. A faculty was obtained for its restoration and use in 1934. There can be few altars in the West Country of such antiquity.

The font is a simple octagonal shape bearing the date 1720 and incised with the initials W.B. and J.R.
It is unusual in that the base is the inverted bowl of an earlier, undoubtably Norman, font.

Almost certainly in the past there were many finely carved bench ends. Only two remain and these were used to form a chancel seat on the North side of the altar. Both were stolen in 1997. However, a chance recognition of their description in the catalogue of a London auction house by a visitor to the church has ensured their recovery. They are now attached to the North wall of the nave.
They are of great interest. On each is carved in deep relief the profile of a gentleman in a high felt hat with sweeping curves, wearing moustaches and a pointed beard. One bears the lettering 'Matthew Trenwith' and the other 'James Trewhella', and both dated 1633.

Inside the South Porch is an interesting stone with an incised cross of the Celtic period, which is thought to be the shaft of a cross which stood nearby.


Over the porch is a Sundial bearing the inscription:
1720
Bright Sol
and Luna Time and
Tide doth hold.
Chronodix
Inumbrate

1869-1870	The church was extensively restored.
1880	The farmhouse behind the church was a public house and there used to be two in Nancledra, 'Ye Olde Inn' and 'Miner's Arms'. There were two at Cripplesease. 'The Engine' and 'The Wink'. 'The Engine' is the sole survivor.
1902	Towednack was constituted as a separate ecclesiastical parish from Lelant.
1923	The parish consisted of approximately 2400 acres. In that area there were once 22 tin mines and of these Giew was the last to close in 1923.
1931	A pair of gold bracelets was discovered in the course of farmwork at Amalveor Farm, about one mile due West of the church. They were declared Treasure Trove and dated to the middle Bronze Age, about 1000 BC. They can be seen in the British Museum, but copies can be seen in Penlee Art Gallery and Museum in penzance.
1933	Towednack was the first church in modern times to hold a service said in the Cornish Language.
1975	Towednack Church was used for the marriage and burial services in the BBC television series 'Poldark', and later for the film 'Penmarric'.
1987	There was a great Ecumenical Celtic Pilgrimage to Towednack to celebrate the connection of the church and the Abbey at Landevennac in Brittany. Thirteen hundred people attended including the Bishops of Truro and St Germans, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Plymouth, the Abbots of Landévennec and Buckfast, and the Methodist Chairman for Cornwall

So back to the wedding...

And on into the evening - but that is another 214 pictures - so lets cut to the end ...

I'll drink to that - Lots of Luck and Happiness to Gray and Cathy

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-o0o-

Old Time Religion
A stitch in time...