Church Heritage Record 639285

Nave and chancel in one, twin west towers with porch between, south-west porch set in the angle and leading into south aisle, south chapel. North organ chamber in transept, and vestry adjacent.

Nave 30m (102ft) long, 9m (30ft) wide, wider south aisle.

The date of origin of the first church building is unclear but there has certainly been a church on the site for 1200 years, and very possibly longer.

The first church of which we have specific information was apparently a Minster. These were not just churches, but home to a community, with a mixture of lay folk and priests, acting as a mother church to others within a huge parish.  There would often be a number of ecclesiastical and domestic buildings within a defined precinct.  A market often developed adjacent to the Minster, which provided the focus for more permanent settlement. The Minster served as Cathedral of Cornwall from the early 10th to early 11th century.

The building probably served the dual function of priory and parish church from the re-founding of the church in the late 1100s as an Augustinian priory of regular canons. After the Reformation it was given to the village as its parish church, a gift which was viewed with some suspicion. The monastic choir fell into disuse and had to be demolished. The size of the church has continued to cause problems to the present day

Prehistoric-Roman

There are a number of scattered findspots of flints along the coast and estuary and Bronze Age barrows are known in the area, though none in the immediate vicinity of the Priory site.  There has been much landscaping around the church and house but stray finds from all these periods are possible. There is little evidence for Iron Age occupation in the immediate vicinity, some Romano-British material has been found.

Early Medieval

The site is of exceptional potential for the archaeology and history of the Early Medieval period and reference should be made to the Historic Environment Record and contact made with the County Archaeologist if any development of the site or building is being considered.

The archaeology and history of this place is complex and not fully understood. There are certainly gaps and inconsistencies in the received story including layers of tradition and cumulative supposition that must be viewed with scepticism.

To begin with the dedication.  St Germanus of Auxerre was a Gaulish Bishop, reportedly sent to Britain in the early 5th century after the Roman military withdrawal to combat Pelagianism.

A Minster may have existed at St Germans from the 7th or 8th century, and this is traditionally held to be on the site of a church founded c 430 by St Germanus himself (Bede mentions that he led troops and founded churches, a common enough assertion in his works), for all of which there is as yet no archaeological evidence. There are several other churches with this dedication, mostly in the South-West and the other “Celtic fringes” of Britain, notably the possibly contemporary Cathedral of Peel St Germans, Isle of Man.

It is not clear if this area was at any time part of the West Saxon diocese of Sherborne. A Bishop is recorded elsewhere in Cornwall in the 9th century, possibly at Bodmin. However, by the 920s the church emerges from its foggy beginnings.  The ‘Lanaled Pontifical’, a 10th-century manuscript mentions a site called ‘Lannaled, a famed and universally known place, where the bones of Bishop Germanus are preserved’, and this was almost certainly St Germans.  It was clearly eminent among the handful of churches known from the South-West at that time.

Excavations in 1928 at the eastern end of the present church may have found part of this Saxon building in the form of a rectangular foundation protruding from the current east wall of the chancel (previously the Late Medieval nave), but this is unclear; the excavations were undertaken by the present Lord Eliot’s Grandfather, and obviously not too modern standards. Part of a decorated tiled floor, probably of 14th-century date, was found 45.70 metres (states EH Pastscape which refers to a tessellated floor - should this be feet?) from the east window. Again this needs to be checked archaeologically.

The church is likely to have been a Minster (Monasterium) before the Norman Conquest served by canons, than a monastery of monks. The very large historic parish (once the largest in Cornwall) may be a reflection of the previous Minster status, and of course as the seat of the Bishop.    

Conan was, according to William of Malmesbury writing in the 1120s, created the leading Bishop of Cornwall by King Athelstan around 926 as part of his efforts to create a united England. Lying just west of the Tamar at what may have been the border region between Wessex and Cornwall, this was a strategic location which partly explains the continuing importance of this place for the emerging English Church and State.

The site of an Episcopal manor house is thought to have been at Cuddenbeak, an area developed for the railway when this came to St Germans.  A house in this area still bears the name.

The see of Cornwall was united with Crediton in the 1020s as this development gathered pace, and by 1050 absorbed into Exeter diocese, where Cornwall remained until the creation of the Diocese of Truro in 1877. There has been a Suffragan Bishop of St Germans since 1905, in recognition of the iconic status of this place for the region.

Medieval

St Germans was recorded in Domesday as a Medieval Borough with a market in 1066, but ruined by competition with Tremanton, developed by the Norman Robert, Count of Mortain as it was more easily defendable and perhaps controllable (there is a motte), by 1086.

The perhaps decayed Minster was refounded for Augustinian canons by Bishop Bartholomew Iscanus between 1161-84 (his term of office), and this is the earliest date for the fabric of the present church – not even a fragment of identifiable Saxon work has survived, unless the small foundation outside the east wall of the chancel is archaeologically confirmed as such. It was one of only three Augustinian Priories in Cornwall, with Bodmin and Launceston.

Along with many churches in the Diocese of Exeter it was “consecrated” in 1261 by Bishop Branescombe during a tour of his diocese near the beginning of his ministry; this need not however relate to a major building programme.

This is an assumption which has lead to much false dating, such as at Ottery St Mary (Diocese of Exeter), see Sampson 2009.  There is in fact little of the latter part of this century in the extant fabric at St Germans, and it seems to be merely an assumption that the lost chancel was of this date (see below). The 13th-century windows and octagon of the north-west tower, for example, may be earlier, and it would be better to see this as a building campaign continuing from the 1160s onwards.

The priory owned manors in St Germans, Landrake, Lambets, and Tinnel, and properties including Landulph and Launceston Castle, as well as the advowson of several churches including Morval and South Petherwin.  We have records of the names of most of the Priors, and of various disciplinary measures undertaken by the Bishops, though nothing exceptional is recorded (see the VCH 2010).

The south chapel was added in the middle of the 14th century (see the developed Geometric tracery), traditionally for the translation of an arm bone of St Germanus in 1358 from Auxerre by Sir Nicholas Tamworth.   

In the 15th century, probably during the office of Bishop Lacey (1420-50) whose arms appear within the church the nave and aisle were given Perpendicular windows and parapets, and the upper stage of the south-west tower remodelled (was it once an octagon like the north tower?). The aisle was widened at this time, and the south-west porch added.

St Germans became known for pottery production at this time, attested archaeologically from kiln sites in the village.

The Reformation

The Priory was dissolved in 1539 and stripped, the remains given or sold to John Champernowne, a Devon squire of the noted dynasty. These include a well-preserved vaulted Medieval undercroft within the present house, which still exists, and the southern part of the house at least seems to preserve part of the ground plan of the north range of the priory. 

It would appear that the north wall of the present house may roughly preserve the line of the north walk along the cloister. The possible scar of the south cloister walk pent roof can still be seen in the east face of the north tower.

His son Henry sold the estate to John Eliot, a gentleman of St Germans, in 1564. St Germans was a Parliamentary Borough at this time, sending two MPs - a situation only changed when these archetypal “rotten boroughs” were stripped of this right in 1832.

The church was offered to the village, a gift which they were initially not eager to accept because of its sheer size. The advowson (patronage) was transferred to St George’s chapel, Windsor, where it still resides, although such decisions are now made in discussion with the diocese. The original long (55ft) monastic chancel collapsed or was taken down in 1592, perhaps due to lack of need now this was a parish church. 

It is traditionally held that this collapse caused the south arcade to be rebuilt up to the west bay with granite piers in a neo-Norman style at this point, though this theory may need to be tested by more research.

18th and 19th century

Edward Eliot was made Lord Eliot, 1st Earl of St Germans in 1784, the property is still owned and lived in by the dynasty. The parkland surrounding Port Eliot was landscaped by Humphrey Repton (his “Red Book” survives) in the 1790s and the house and stables remodelled by Sir John Soane around 1802. The north aisle was demolished and rectangular windows were apparently inserted into the blocked up north wall.

The north transept and lobby (later vestry) was added for the Eliot family pew in 1803, it is not clear if Soane was also involved with this, though it is highly likely.  St Germans had at this time become an estate village.

The railway came to St Germans in 1859 and this led to a major expansion of the village around the station and goods yard. The population peaked in 1861 at 2,842 persons.

There was a major restoration of the church in 1888-94 by the architect James Piers St Aubyn (in partnership with Henry J Wadling) who had an office in Devonport, and had designed nearby Hessenford St Anne in 1871. There was also a railing around the west porch doorway, removed at some point since the 1950s, and replaced by the present iron fence and yew hedge further out.

This work was paid for by the Earl. The windows of the north wall, as noted above apparently square windows of the early 1800s, were replaced with the present Gothic Decorated windows.  The floor was dropped some 18 inches, giving even access from outside to the nave but providing a sheer drop from the south porch.

The later work (1902-4) undertaken by St Aubyn (it must have been by his partner Wadling as St Aubyn died in 1895) appears to have been partly funded by Albert Burton, when the walls were scraped, and this revealed the remnants of the Norman clearstorey and other details. The box pews shown in a photograph in the church must have been removed at this point at the latest, an application to the ICBS for a grant for re-seating was refused in 1894.  The organ was installed in the north transept. This is the date the walls, lych-gate and railings to the south curtilage were added.

There was a serious fire in 1966 which gutted the organ chamber and charred the roof, destroying the organ. A new one was installed and the roof ceiled and plastered. There have been several campaigns of repair and restoration since, including recent roof repairs part funded by English Heritage and repairs to the lych-gate, and the church is generally in very good order and well presented.

The parish boundaries and parochial structures have been amended several times in the past and are about to be reviewed again at the time of writing.

The church preserves more original Norman masonry in its powerful and iconic west front than any other Cornish church, and this is a rare survival anywhere.

The twin towers provide considerable vertical emphasis when seen from the park, and the sheer size cannot fail to impress the visitor.  One does immediately wonder if the west door within the impressive and completely unrestored Norman doorway could not used as the main access, as originally intended. Access here is level, by contrast with the south porch entrance (see below). The reason may be draughts, birds and insects, but there may be solutions to this.

The doorway is set within a shallow gabled porch, the doorway arch almost takes it up completely and consists of seven orders, with muscular chevron and eroded floral patterns to the hoodmould. The west nave facade above the porch has three round-arched lights with nook shafts below a string course under the gable, the middle of which is larger. There is also a lancet each side of the porch gable, presumably to light the internal gallery which once connected the towers.

The south west tower has three stages, with string courses and embattled parapets, flat pilasters to the second stage, and round arched lancets; 2-light 4-centred arched bell-openings with cusped lights (dating to the rebuild of the 15th century) and wooden louvres, and clock faces to north and south, dated 1781.

The north-west tower is also of three stages, with clasping buttresses at first and second stage rising to the top octagonal stage with embattled parapet and pointed lancets to each face. The lower stage has a round-headed lancet, and internal east door in greenstone with stepped rounded arch and jamb shafts. 19th-century door with strap hinges.

A long mound where the Medieval north aisle was can be seen parallel to the nave wall, and the gable scar, or scars, of the north aisle and cloister walk can be seen in the exposed east wall of the tower. The north side of the nave and chancel has embattled parapets, the nave has two 3-light windows with Perpendicular tracery. Embattled parapets also to the transept and vestry.  

The south aisle also has an embattled parapet and weathered buttresses, and 4-light windows, all with 4-centred arches, upper tracery and hood mould.  The south chapel has a Tudor arched door to the west bay, then a pointed 3-light with Decorated tracery and east of this two 3-light windows within square frames.

Two 3-light Perpendicular style windows pierce the east wall, and there is an upper 3-light similar window, clearly a later addition within a brick frame; it has been suggested that this was a window brought from the north aisle, moved here after this was demolished around 1802. It can be seen in a photograph in the church which also shows the box pews, so it probably predates St Aubyn’s works.

The chancel east wall (old east end of the nave) has a 5-light east window with transom, all trefoil-headed lights with Perpendicular tracery, 4-centred arch and hood mould, put in after 1592.  Beyond this wall the foundations of the chancel and within this a small protrusion thought to be the chancel of an earlier church can be seen, this area now landscaped into a garden and with a large dove cage.

The gabled south west porch parallel to the west end of the south aisle has a moulded cornice and embattled parapet. 4-centred arched door to south with hoodmould. Within there is a 13th-century stone coffin laid on the stone floor. The ceiling is a stone sexpartite rib-vault, of high quality.  4-centred arched west doorway to the church with quatrefoils in spandrels, roll-moulded with hood mould; mask gargoyles. This space is rather damp with green mould growth.

This is a complex church, even more so than one would guess from the exterior. The walls are bare, with the exception of the north transept which is plastered, probably applied after the 1966 fire.  Looking west, the south-west tower has a just-pointed Transitional arch to the aisle, with round columns with fluted abaci, clustered columns to east and north, but round-arched entrances to the tower bases.  Stepped Transitional arch with clustered columns from the nave to the west porch.

There are doorways in the inner faces of the towers to allow access to a lost gallery which used to connect them, as noted above lit by two lancets either side of the porch gable. The south-west tower preserves a Norman stone staircase up to half way, the only one in Cornwall and rare anywhere. This leads to a ringing floor with ringing boards and clock mechanism case (an attractive room), and up to the belfry and out onto the parapets. 

The Rysbrack monument (see monuments below) is installed in the base of the north-west tower behind original railings. This has had at times a ladder and other materials stacked against it. Above the ceiling here the tower is an empty shell up to a ceiling at parapet level, housing the boiler which blows hot air into the nave through an ugly vent. Inside the tower, one can see that the octagon stage is carried on squinches.

Scars from at least two pent roofs can be seen in the west (internal) wall of the south tower, the west end of the south aisle. These presumably relate to the narrow 12th-century and wider 14th-century aisle roofs, before the aisle was widened again in the 15th century.

On each side of the west door are painted panels depicting Moses and Aaron, by Pierce of Truro, late 19th-century. These could do with being lit to display them, as they are very fine pieces.

Looking up, the nave and chancel in one (this was originally just the nave of the priory church) with late 19th-century waggon roof, the south aisle roof similar. 7-bay arcade of round piers with fluted abaci, 4-centred arches, the three arches to west stepped and of ashlar, the others moulded; similar columns with stepped arch to north transept, formerly to the family pew, now organ chamber, with the pipes displayed to the nave.

One square 12th-century clearstorey window with chevron jambs survives above the south arcade, unusually located between the arches of the two western bays, the only original Norman bays. The break in the arcade at the east jamb of the next, lost opening is very clear.

There are 20th-century open-backed chairs in the nave, standing on boarded pew platforms. Wooden platforms used as staging during concerts are laid on top of these when not in use. Stone slabs and some ledger slabs in the alleys.

The south aisle has the arms of Bishop Lacy on one of the carved corbels.. Fragments of the rood screen with key, sword and shield are fastened to the south door to the Lady Chapel.

There is a single Medieval bench with Misericord in the south aisle, depicting (supposedly) a local character called Dando punished for hunting on a Sunday, otherwise chairs Good traceried Victorian screen, possibly by Harry Hems, between the chancel and Lady (south) chapel at the east end of the south aisle, which is of very high architectural quality, solidly 14th-century despite restoration. 

Between the two east windows is a crocketed and cusped niche with a Victorian figure of the Good Shepherd. The floor is of chequered marble (Paignton stone). East piscina with ogee hood, sedilia adjacent with gabled crocketed hood and Medieval tomb recess with ogee hood.

The chancel has an attractive mosaic floor (being restored at time of writing with funds from the Church Commissioners) and choir stalls with richly moulded ends, and panelling all around the east and north walls enclosing a stone frieze depicting the Last Supper as a reredos. Fine stained glass in the large window above provides a fitting setting for the High Altar.

A pointed door to the west of the organ chamber leads to the vestry, which contains a fine chest tomb with black marble slab to John Moyle died 1661, and the wooden figure of St Anthony brought (c1500) from Port Eliot.