St Pinnock History - by B E de St Päer Gotch FRGS

It is not known when the first church at St. Pinnock was built, but it is more than likely that a small chapel or oratory was erected on the same site as the present church, doubtless in Celtic times, and possibly by the Saint himself. Recently, the boundary of the original Celtic lann’ or church—sit, at St. Pinnock has been discovered by the writer and confirmed by the Cornwall Archaeological Unit. The ‘lann’ was a roughly circular area of varying size containing within it a chapel and burial ground, with possibly a shrine at the tomb of the founding priest, later to be called a saint. Here at St. Pinnock the ‘lann’ is bounded by the river at the foot of Church Hill, Church Hill, the village street, Rectory Lane, part of East Coombe Farm Lane, and field hedges leading back down to the river. The area can clearly be seen on a large scale map. It includes the church, church hall, Glebe Farm bungalow and yard, Rosedene and the Old Rectory. The familiar Cornish custom of calling the church (and later the parish) after the Saint was followed here. There occurs a curious reference in 1385 (Feet of Fines) to ‘Ecciesia Sancti Andree de Seint Pynnok (The Church of St. Andrew of St. Pinnock) but this must be an error - not unusual in mediaeval records. The actual placing of the church is of great interest as it has been built into a rough prehistoric tumulus or henge, the remainder of which forms the churchyard. The boundary of the yard is five or six feet above the level of the surrounding land.

There was certainly a church here in Norman times, cruciform in shape, consisting of nave, chancel and north and south transepts. This was reconstructed in the latter half of the 15th century by demolishing the north transept and the erection of the arcade of 4 bays, and the north aisle. The remainder of the church building was doubtless largely rebuilt also.

The size and general appearance of a church is normally an indication of the wealth of the mediaeval parish and its inhabitants. St. Pinnock church is small and plain, pointing to a relatively poor community in the past.

Certainly there were no great lords of the manors who could lavish riches on their church. There are, of course, many similar instances in the neighbourhood as Braddock and St. Keyne, but compare the size and magnificence of the churches of St. Neot and Lanhivery which give quite a different picture.

By the 19th century the church was in a sorry state of repair. In 1810, the Rural Dean reported that there seemed to be little attention paid to the neat and decent appearance of the church. Things had obviously deteriorated in the next few years as, in 1822, it use stated that “the whole church in very bad order. It ought to be entirely new seated and has not been ceiled. The churchwardens complained keenly of the poverty of the parish. The parsonage occupied by paupers.” They might also have complained that they had not had a resident Rector since 17891

Although a new Rector arrived in 1835 and promptly rebuilt the Rectory where he lived until his death in 1870, he did nothing about the church which continued to fall into disrepair. A report in the Cornish Times of April 1882 gives some idea of the terrible state of affairs.

“No church in the diocese was probably in a worse state than this a year or two ago: the floor uneven and damp was encumbered with a number of irregular modern deal pews or pens of all shapes and sizes. The original chancel roof had been blown away in a great storm and had been replaced by some rough timbers and a lath and plaster ceiling; by this same storm the timbers of the nave roof had all been displaced and put in a slanting position; whilst the broken windows and ill fitting doors admitted the wind and rain from all quarters. The church has been shamefully served and dreadfully neglected until it has become at last a wretched and almost ruinous building.

When the Rev. John Otho West became Rector in 1870 he realised that something had to be done, although the magnitude and expanse of the task in such a poor parish must have been daunting in the extreme. However, he persevered, and called in Messrs. Sine and Odgers, architects, of Lockyer Street, Plymouth, who prepared a complete survey: By May 1881, the contract for the work had been accepted, the cost being £930.00, not including heating apparatus and other things which raised the sum to £1,034.00, Another £200.00 was estimated for architects’ fees and incidental expenses.

Grants and local subscriptions at the time amounted to only £400.00, although it was hoped that when the churchwardens issued their general appeal to the outside public, much more money would be forthcoming. In the event, the total cost was £1,500.00 of which only about half was raised and the balance was provided by the Rector and his family although at the time they were not particularly wealthy.

The church was closed at the end of May 1881 and the work proceeded under the direction of Mr. Philip Blowey, Constructor, of Plymouth, taking nearly a year to complete.

Although Victorian church restorations were so often disastrous, St. Pinnock church was more fortunate than most as a genuine attempt to restore rather than “Victorianise” seems to have been made. It was found necessary to rebuild the South transept, but this was done on the original lines and with ancient material. Even the East window which had been largely destroyed in the earlier storm, had as many “ancient stones” as possible put back. The old roof timbers were re-used, some of them still having remains of painting and gilding on them.  New bosses, where necessary, were carved by Mr. Moutrie of Tavistock to agree with the old ones.

The quite elegant chancel woodwork, screens and pulpit were supplied by Messrs. Hems of Exeter who carved the poppy heads on the pews. The glazing of the new East window was by Fouracre and Watson of Stonehouss, Plymouth. The only unfortunate Victoriana are the floor tiles, those in the chancel being encaustic” and made by Messrs. Maw and Co.

On Tuesday 19th April, 1882, the newly restored church was re- opened by the then Bishop of Truro (Dr. S. W. Benson, later Archbishop of Canterbury) at a special morning service.

Since the restoration, the church has remained much as it was — a neat and pleasant building. The chancel was panelled in 1933/4 in memory of Emily Steer, and the harmonium has given place to an over large pipe organ which entirely blocks the east end of the North aisle. A noisy, but efficient heating system was installed in the 1970’s.

The exterior is greatly enhanced by the nest appearance of the churchyard which is full and closed for burials, and splendidly maintained by Caradon District Council. A new burial ground was taken out of the Rectory Held and consecrated by the then Bishop of Truro in 1951.

The present building is 57 ft. long and 31 ft. wide, excluding the transept which measures 19 feet. One of the most interesting features is the font which dates from between A.D. 1150 and 1200 and is of an unusual type. It is of granite and there are corner heads supporting the heavy top. The lead lining is still intact and there is a handsome modern cover.

Few ancient monuments remain after the restoration and the only two now in the church are unfortunately placed behind the organ where they cannot easily be seen. The first commemorates Ames Coplestone who died on 14th August, 1629, and Jane Louis who died on 26th September of the same year. The slate stone is resplendent with coats of arm. and bears the following verses: —

Here lyes beneath this frame
Amiss Copplestone
A babe as lovely as his name
But lyes not here alone
For, Jane though later dead
Yet elder much than bee
Her brothers cradle makes her bed;
To show her Love is free

The second monument is as it says —

‘Erected in Remembrance of ye family of John Collier Gent,” and dates from the early 18th century. It also has a coat of arms and two verses —

Rest Here a While
the Ni hist part of me
my mother wife and
Children Three.
Divorced by Death Some
Time I must Remain
Butt Still I Trust to meet
With them in Christ Again.

The church tower is 14th century and about sixty feet high with a 3/8 stair turret at the N.E. corner. The top is embattled with four small crocketed pinnacles each surmounted by an iron cross. On the outside wall just above the junction of the Nave and North aisle roofs is a lead plate inscribed 1687 S.I. This, no doubt, refers to some restoration work. The initials are probably those of Stephen Jay, a member of a well-known local family at that time.

The tower contains four bells, all of which were recast by the well-known Cornish bell founders, the Penningtons of Stoke Climsland, in 1803.