St Austell [Parish Circuit or Chapel], St Austell, Cornwall

The parish church is situated in St. Austell town; it is now dedicated to The Holy Trinity.

  located in OS Grid Square SW8532 and was originally dedicated to

St. Austolus in 1262 by Bishop Bronescombe near the feast day of the

Celtic saint.
The church was originally built in 1169, according to A. L. Rowse in his book St. Austell: Church, Town and Parish

in 1960. The first church was given to the Prior and Convent of

Tywardreath by Robert Fitzwilliam. The early church building of Bishop

Bronescombe still exists today in the chancel; the round pier and

low-pointed arches of the south arcade are 13th century, and the stone

came from Catacluse quarry near Padstow.
The chantry chapel of St.

Michael was built in about 1300 by Philip, Archdeacon of Westminster,

who originated in St. Austell. Whilst the parish church is late-Norman

in origin, the oldest surviving part is the chapel south of the chancel

with access from the south aisle. Beneath the stone flags of the chapel

is the family vault of the Sawles of Penrice, and around its walls are

numerous memorial inscriptions relating to the family. Archdeacon

Phillip also provided money for the support of the chantry, which

allowed the chantry priests to teach children, since they had an

independent subsistence. Remaining within the church are dead walls

which possibly once supported a small tower or steeple.
The tower, a

masterpiece of sculpture, was built in the 1400's. It is divided into 3

sections, to represent the Trinity, and is "a Bible in stone" as

depicted in the various sculptural groupings. The church and tower were

built of ashlar work Pentewan stone. Shortly thereafter, history

overwhelmed the building efforts with the rebellions of 1497, and

building ceased. The church was joined to the earlier chancel and

chantry which had been built on a slightly different axis. The nave and

aisles were remodelled in the late 1500's. The church was remodelled

again in Victorian times.

Churches