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Churches which still retain west gallery
features or connections |
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Boconnoc,
dedication unknown
|
17th C. gallery. (No ref. in
Pevsner.) |
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Fowey,
St. Fimbar |
Jacobean pulpit |
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Golant,
St Sampson |
A small 15th C. church set high above the Fowey
river. Very uncomfortable upright box-pews. |
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Helston,
St. Michael
|
Church rebuilt in 1762 by Bland of Truro in
Classical manner. One of the few Georgian churches in Cornwall, even though the
Victorians meddled with the interior . . . Three galleries; stair in
the 1830
porch.
1903 |
|
Landulph,
St. Leonard |
Set beside the River Tamar, between two inlets.
Manorial pew, Rood screen. |
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Lanteglos-by-Fowey,
St. Willow |
Difficult to reach, either by ferry and by land.
The panelling from the original family pews is of interest, removed from the
east end of the church and re-erected at the west end - "interesting and
unusual". |
|
Launcells,
St. Andrew |
The only Cornish church to be wholly untouched by
Victorian 'restoration'. Old plaster on the walls, ancient roofs intact, the
finest bench-ends in Cornwall; box-pews, pulpit, three-sided altar rails,
reredos and organ-case; Polyphant arcades; Norman font with 17th C. cover.
(CEPC) |
|
Launceston,
St. Mary Magdalene |
Organ case early 18th century.
? west gallery |
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Penwerris,
St. Michael
|
The church was dedicated in
1828, and included at that time a west gallery, on which was
installed an organ. That organ as been removed, and the
gallery remains - although in an unsafe condition. An
extraordinary 'Toy Fort Gothic' building between Falmouth
and Penryn which needs a very large sum of money spending on
its restoration. Currently Grade 2 status, but could well be
considered as Grade 1. [Charles Farrow]. [Also 'A
Short History of Penwerris', by Jory Bennett BA 1985]
 |
|
Torpoint,
dedication unknown |
Church 1819. Gallery on iron columns. |
|
Truro,
St. John
|
Church dates from 1828, and has a
west gallery. |
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Churches which are known to have had west
gallery features or connections |
|
Blisland,
St. Protus & St
Hyacinth |
West gallery built about 1780; payments recorded
between 1782 and 1803. It is a church that has to be visited because of the
richness of the other fittings. (CEPC) |
|
Liskeard,
St. Martin |
Church
restored and
refitted 1793 - possibly this was when the gallery was erected. There was a
band band of violins, cellos, flutes, clarinets, bassoons and "scorpions" [?]
Replaced by an organ in 1844. Gallery removed 1927. |
|
Perranzabuloe,
St.Piran |
"In the year 1873, when the interiors of many
Cornish churches were being greatly changed and, in
several cases, the character of the old churches completely lost in the name of
"restoration", the Church of St. Piran was reseated and the chancel raised.
Prior to this date there was a gallery at the back of the church, just
inside the large oak door, and the Choir sat in the gallery. One of the oldest
inhabitants of Perranporth can remember a string band under the direction of
the choirmaster, Mr. Wm. Hodge, supplying the music for the services." (Church guide book - undated but fairly ancient.
New edition repeats word for word what the old guide said
about the gallery)
"The
first stone of this parish church was laid in the year 1804,
after two former ones had been successively overwhelmed with
the sand of the desert in which they were imprudently
built;" in 1879 the church was reopened, after having
undergone restoration throughout, at a cost of £791; the
galleries were removed, the church reseated, the chancel
raised and a carved oak pulpit and western screen
constructed from the wood of the old benches: there are 340
sittings."
 |
|
Penzance,
St. Mary |
The present church was built
in 1835, but sadly was gutted by fire in 1985. Both it and
its predecessor had galleries. [Pens Sans The Holy
Headland, Peter Mound 1998, includes view of interior of
old chapel]
http://www.andrew-m-wilson.com/St%20Mary%20penzance.jpg
|
|
St. Day,
Holy Trinity |
A great Gothick church,
consecrated 1828, restored 1891, now a preserved ruin, had
galleries [Pevsner]. Refurbishment
works carried out in 1931 included the removal of a
mezzanine gallery which had had a stiffening effect on the
slender brick built columns supporting the high double
valley roof, thus causing inherent weakness. |
|
St. Winnow,
St.Winnow |
Painting of church
ca.1850 shows interior "cluttered up with family pews, clerk's seat and
singers' seats". |
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|
Isles
of Scilly,
Old Church and
St Mary |
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Chapels which have or had west
gallery features or connections |
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St. Ervan, Penrose,
Methodist
Chapel |
Moving
in its utter simplicity and lack of pretension Penrose is a
rare survivor among wayside Cornish Methodist chapels. The
chapel dates from 1861 although at first glance it may
appear to be much older. It is constructed of local slate
rubble, to a rectangular plan.
The interior is virtually unaltered with plain plastered
walls and twelve-paned windows on either side of the central
door. The pulpit has turned balusters with a panelled
enclosure in front rimmed by benches facing into the middle.
These once formed a meeting area.
Penrose is also one of only six small chapels in Cornwall
identified by English Heritage as retaining its complete and
original set of box pews, arranged in tiers at the west end
and along the north and south sides of the interior.
Visit the Historic Chapels Trust web site,
at http://www.hct.org.uk/chapel12penrose.html,
to whom we are indebted for this information.
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| Asterisks denote
churches in preparation
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