Easter Week in North Devon Day 6

Facing  grey, misty, and ultimately rainy weather, we planned a day devoted to church visiting further afield along the northern coast of Cornwall.  The rocky coast of Morwenstow was famous for shipwrecks, wreckers, and smugglers. And the church was famous for its poet pastor Robert Hawker who was appointed vicar in 1834, and remained until his death in 1875. Entering the churchyard, a large white figures looms into view, as if leaping up from its resting place.

The recent replica figurehead of the Caledonia marks the burial of the crew of an 1842 wreck with only one survivor. Hawker insisted on giving Christian burial rites and a churchyard burial to the dead of this wreck instead of the traditional burial at the beach.

The Norman portal

The original Caledonia figurehead inside the church

The ancient Saxon font retained when the Normans rebuilt the church

The Norman arcade of round arches . . .

. . . decorated with carved heads, human and animal . . .

. . . and this interesting head.

Next is Kilkhampton with a churchyard overflowing with the yellow flowers of springtime . . .

. . . and a fabulous Norman portal . . .

. . . with carvings that turn out to be little faces poking up with little noses and peering eyes!

Carved bench ends are a popular feature of the area churches.

Then on to St Swithin's in Launcells with its Holy Well . . .

. . . and Tudor bench ends carved with stories told in picture riddles.

Sir John Chamond who died in 1624 rests comfortably on his crooked elbow after nearly 400 years.

Beautiful floor tiles on the altar platform

Next the church in the large market town of Launceston whose large early 16th century church has a very ordinary modern interior, but an amazing exterior of intricately carved granite in lace-like patterns . . .

. . . with faces and animals . . .

. . . and St. George slaying his dragon . . .

. . . and a recumbent Mary Magdalene with her oil jar.

Lastly, we arrived at another Churches Conservation Trust church in Luffincott.

. . . with a simple elegant interior . . .

. . . of thick walls and mullioned windows . . .

. . . and a memorial window to the local Luffincott family who emigrated to Philadelphia and became the Lippincott's, founders of the once famous publishing house in 1836 by first printing Bibles, then almanacs, and school textbooks.