Details
SW 72 NW MAWGAN-IN-MENEAGE MAWGAN
1/148 Church of Saint Maugan
10.7.57
GV I
Parish church. C13 font, C13 south wall, and parts of porch, and transept,
remodelled C15-C16, C15 arcade, C15 north aisle and waggon roofs, C15 west tower with
possibly late C14 doorway. Fairly restrained restoration by Sedding in 1894. Shale
rubble walls with mostly granite dressings, granite ashlar west tower and Delabole
slate roofs with coped gable ends and cavetto moulded wallplate cornices under the
eaves.
Plan: Probably cruciform in the C13-C14 with south porch. West tower north aisle and
north transept added in the C15 and possibly the south transept widened; some
alterations to the south wall in the C16 and in the C19 the restoration probably
included straightening up the roof, wall plates and relaying or renewing gable
copings.
Embattled C15 west tower of 3 stages with crocketted pinnacle over each corner,
moulded plinth, with trailing carving to moulding of pointed elvan doorway, circa
late C14-early C15; 3-light C15 Perpendicular window over. Carved label stops and
keystones to relieving arches circa C13 incorporated, including carved figure of
Saint Maugan over window and the Ferrers arms on right impost. Strings dividing
stages; second stage blind; upper stage with 3 light C15 Perpendicular windows.
Relieving arches and hoodmoulds over tower openings.
North aisle: tall 4-light C15 Perpendicular window to west gable, C15 5-light
Perpendicular window with fine carved enrichment to cavetto moulded jambs and arch to
east gable. North wall has 2 windows to left of north transept and 4 windows to
right. The windows are C15 Perpendicular, each with 3 trefoil-headed lights under a
4-centred outer arch. Circular rood stair projection in angle left of transept.
North transept has 13-light Y-tracery north window and circa C16 basket arch doorway
in right hand angle with aisle.
Chancel east gable has late Decorated style 3-light window with reticulated tracery,
probably late C19, set within original probably C13 walling with relieving arch of
narrower original window over.
South wall sustantially probably C13 with a 3-light tracered window to the left
inserted probably in the C15,and a flat headed window with hood mould and central
mullion over a circa C16 basket arched doorway to chancel wall right of south
transept. Left and right of the C16 doorway are 2 original lancets with later trefoil
heads. At the far right is a blocked window opening splayed wall for squint across
angle between transept and chancel.
South transept partly rebuilt by Sedding in 1894 with buttresses added to corners at
south. Window in south gable, probably also 1894, is in C14 style similar to chancel
east window. 2-light C15 traceried window to east wall of south transept.
Porch has chamfered doorway of uncertain date with pointed arch of voussoirs.
Possibly C13 stoup in east wall of porch. C15 oak roof. C15 moulded with steep 4-
centered arch inner doorway.
Interior: C15 waggon roofs over nave/chancel, transepts and a particularly fine C15
roof with carved ribs, purlins and bosses over the north aisle; C15 7 bay standard A
(Pevsner) granite arcade with moulded capitals and steep 4-centred arches between
nave/chancel and north aisle; C15 squint between south transept and chancel with a
granite corbel over octagonal pier as impost for C19 freestone transept arches; rood
stair in north aisle wall tower arch springing from carved corbels and old stone
flagged floor, walls stripped of plaster probably by Sedding.
Fittings: C13 octagonal goblet shaped elvan font with 2 of the original 4 clasping
turned and shaped shafts; medieval alter slab with 5 incised crosses under east
window of north transept; C19 octagonal granite pulpit and pitch pine pews.
Monuments: C14 fine carved freestone effigies of Sir Roger de Carminow died 1308 and
his widow, Lady Johanna, in arched niche to south wall of south transept, removed
from the C13 Carminow chapel during the reign of James I, (church guide) and in the
east wall of the north aisle mausoleum to Sir Richard Vivian of Trelowarren, who died
in 1655.On the top step riser under the tower arch is inscribed PAV D. 1737. 11G. ID.
CW.
There is a curious chamber built into the bank of the churchyard by the north aisle
doorway.
This church has, unusually in Cornwall, some C13 features, but the greater proportion
of the building is C15. Remarkably, with most of the original C15 roof structures
intact, and most of the C15 windows. The squint is particularly interesting,
incorporating as it does the jamb reveal of an original C13 window. The tower is
typical of C15 Cornish west towers and is a very complete example.
Listing NGR: SW7095525096
