Details
ST GORAN GORRAN CHURCHTOWN
SX 04 SW
3/108 Church of St Goran
10.2.67
GV II*
Parish church. C12 origin, enlarged circa C13 and C14, with additions of C15
including late C15 tower. Tower restored 1876, with a restoration of circa 1880 by
Piers St Aubyn. Slatestone rubble with granite dressings; the arcade of white
Pentewan stone. The tower is in granite ashlar. Slate roofs with crested ridge
tiles and gable ends with raised coped verges with cross finials.
Plan: Nave and chancel in one; probably originally a cruciform plan, with the north
transept remaining. The north side of the nave appears to be of the C13, with the
north transept largely of C14. The south aisle may have been added circa late C14,
but largely remodelled in circa late C15 with a south porch. There is a C19 north
vestry attached to the chancel. The west tower is of late C15.
Exterior: Of the nave, only the north side is visible; there is a blocked C13
doorway with 2-centred arch, two chamfered orders, hood mould with mask stops and a
mask at the apex of the arch. 3-light C15 window to west of the doorway, with
hollow-chamfered 4-centred arch and hood mould. To east of the doorway is a 3-light
C15 window with cusped lights, 4-centred arch and hood mould.
The chancel east end has a chamfered plinth, with 3-light east window of C14, with 2-
centred arch, chamfered lights and hood mould. Scalloped slates at the eaves.
The north transept is gabled, on chamfered plinth at the north gable end. There is a
2-light north window with cusped lights, 2-centred arch and hood mould. Cusped
lancet to west and plain lancet to east. The north vestry is beside the transept,
with a 2-light 6-pane C20 casement to east and a boiler room lean-to.
The south aisle has a chamfered rubble plinth at the east end only. There is a 4-
light C15 east window with cusped lights. 4-centred arch and hood mould; in
Perpendicular style. The west end has similar 4-light Perpendicular window. The
south side is of 7 bays, with the porch in the second bay from the west. All windows
are of C19, 3-light, with cusped lights, 2-centred arches and hood moulds. Attached
to the south aisle is a vault with granite ashlar front and segmental arch with ball
finial on shaped stem to centre and each side. The sides have granite coping.
Carved inscription: Resurgemus 1813 WSG.
The south porch is gabled, without plinth, with embattled parapet with crocketed
pinnacles. The outer doorway has polygonal piers with blind cusped panels, carved
capitals and hollow-chamfered segmental arch. C19 wrought iron lamp bracket and C19
cast iron gates. The interior of the porch has pitched slate floor and granite
benches at the sides. The wagon roof is of C15 with carved ribs, bosses and wall-
plates. The inner doorway has elliptical arch, roll-moulded, with recessed spandrels
and square hood mould. C19 plank double doors with good ironwork strap hinges.
The west tower is in 3 stages, on moulded plinth with set-back weathered buttresses,
chamfered string courses and embattled parapet with crocketed pinnacles. 4-centred
arched west doorway with roll-mouldings and recessed spandrels, the hood mould
continuous with the plingh. C19 plank double door. 4-light Perpendicular west
window with Y tracery, 4-centred arch and hood mould. The third stage has 3-light
bell-openings with 4-centred arches, hood moulds and relieving arches, pierced slate
ventilators and slate louvres. There are lancets to north for the stair.
Interior: Plastered walls. The nave, chancel and south aisle have C19 arched-brace
roofs with two tiers of windbraces. The north transept is ceiled. 2-centred tower
arch with triple shafts to sides, with central hollow-moulding and imposts. C19
screen across the arch. 2-centred arched north doorway to the tower stair. The
north transept has a stone rubble 2-centred arch with imposts. 8-bay south arcade in
white Pentewan stone, with 2-centred arches, the piers with a concave-convex-concave
moulding with ring-moulded captitals and bases. The pier to west is in darker banded
stone. The chancel has a 2-centred arched aumbry and the south aisle has a 2-centred
arched aumbry and piscina.
Fittings: C12 stone font in south aisle, the bowl carved with geometric and floral
designs, on a circular stem with moulded base; four outer shafts surmounted by masks.
C19 benches with C15 carved bench ends in the nave and aisle. C19 carved wooden
pulpit in the nave and C19 benches in the chancel. C19 lectern made from C15 carved
timber. Fine sanctuary chair in the south aisle, probably of C17, the back carved
with a figure and a shaped top with grotesque mask.
Monuments in south aisle: brass said to be the "Lady of Brannel", a kneeling female
figure of circa 1500; marble monument on slate ground with draped urn and shield of
arms, to William Slade Gully, 1816. In the nave: a baroque slate monument with
scrolled broken pediment and central shield of arms, the architrave with an eared
segmental top and inscription panel with strapwork and corbels. Latin inscription to
Richard Edgecombe of Bodrugan, knight, 1655; the head of a coffin shaped slab in
stone, with raised carved foliated cross. In the tower; a slate tablet to Sarah
Dalby, 1812.
The east window of the south aisle has fragments of Medieval glass.
Source: Pevsner, N.: Buildings of England: Cornwall 1970.
Listing NGR: SW9995042303
