The Lizard Revisited 2022: Part 3

A better day weatherwise with an even better day promised tomorrow. A very relaxed day with old friends (from 1970!), lunch at the Halzephron Inn at Gunwalloe and another visit to St Winwaloe's at Church Cove.

Just a nesting box but I like the contrasting textures of its treated wood against the natural bark of the tree.

St Winwaloe's is named after a 5th century Breton saint, who is said to have founded the first church on this site. It is the only church in Cornwall located on a beach. The earliest mention of a church at this site comes from 1332 when it was mentioned as a chapel connected with the church at Breage. It stood beside a holy well but not trace of that remains. Its exposed position has given it its popular nickname, The Church of the Storms.

The church is set in the dunes but is protected from the worst of the elements by a strip of rather weather beaten trees. The bell tower, probably 13th Century, on the left is physically separated from the main body of the church. 

There are two fonts in the church. This one was carved from granite in the 15th century to an octagonal design. It looks, to my eye, rather modern and has a pleasant symmetry.

The oldest font is Norman, made of Pentewan stone carved with a tree of life design. It was discovered in the churchyard, where it presumably was discarded after it was replaced by the more modern 15th Century one. 

The 15th Century gabled roof spanning the three aisles/halls. A tribute to the carpenters who made it.

An interesting feature in the church is a 15th Century screen, painted with a depiction of the Crucifixion. This screen originally spanned the entire width of the nave and aisles. It was later cut down and two bays were reused as the North and South church doors. These reused sections are painted with figures of the Apostles. A local tradition says that the screen was salvaged from the wreck of the Portuguese treasure ship The Saint Anthony, which ran aground at Gunwalloe on 19th January 1527. There is no evidence to confirm this and it is just as likely that wreck money was used to pay for the screen.

The south aisle or, more strictly, the south hall of the church.

The church has three rectangular halls joined by gabled roofs. The west end, where the 15th Century font is, of the central hall acts as nave, and in the east end can be found the chancel. It is thought that remains of that early church may have survived in the west end. On the lectern on the right is the sermon we sat through on Sunday. It read shorter than it sounded.

Looking out across Church Cove towards the Nursing Home on Poldhu Point. The Nursing Home was originally the Poldhu Hotel. The popularity of travel in the Victorian era saw a rapid increase in the number of visitors coming to Cornwall and with the introduction of the railways making travelling easier it was anticipated that the railway, which was operating in Helston, would be extended on to the Lizard. With this the construction of three large hotels began to meet the demand of the incoming tourists. The Poldhu Hotel was one of the first and was built in  1889. It was later announced that the railway wouldn’t be extended onto the Lizard but this did not halt the popularity of the hotels (Poldhu, Polurrian and Mullion Cove) to their Victorian visitors.

Who doesn't like to watch the sea? Ever changing, ever stimulating. I'd hate not to live within easy reach of the coast.

Quite a few Rock Pipits were scurrying on the shingle, poking about for food.

The late afternoon light was beginning to fade.

A great sunset in the West.