St Gluvias, Cornwall

St. Gluvias (parish church)

The church of St. Gluvias, standing on the border of the estuary of Falmouth harbour, is an edifice of stone, and, with the exception of the tower, was altered in the last century in a Modern Classic style: it consists of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch, and an embattled western tower, with turret, containing 6 bells, all cast in 1808: there are monumental tablets to the families of Pendarves and Roskrow, 1643-83; Enys, 1697-1857; memorials to John Grills, merchant, ob. 1673; Henry Carverth, ob. 1684, and others of the 17th century; and in the south aisle a brass with effigies and inscription to Thomas Kyllygrewe, gent. circa 1484, and Joan and Elizabeth, his wives; there are also a number of monuments of modern date: the church was thoroughly restored in 1883 at a cost of £3,900, and is now chief1y in the Perpendicular style; the galleries have been removed, the interior entirely reseated, a new roof fixed, and the bells re-hung; the chancel was also rebuilt, the tower thoroughly repaired, and new buttresses and porch erected on the south side of the church: in 1912 a side chapel was formed in the south-east end of the church: in 1913 the vestry was enlarged by Miss Enys in memory of her brothers, Francis Gilbert and John Davies Enys: the stained east window is a memorial to Louisa, wife of the late Archdeacon Phillpotts, the west window to the late Major F. O. Griffin R.A. and the window in the south-east aisle is to the Rev. Canon Vawdrey, vicar 1889-1909: the organ was rebuilt in 1891, at the sole cost of Mrs. Enys: in 1890 a memorial was erected in the church to the Venerable W. J. Phillpotts M.A. archdeacon of Cornwall and vicar of the parish with S. Budock, 1845-89; this consists of an elaborate embellishment of the eastern wall of the chancel in opus sectile or opaque glass mosaic work, the whole of the space above and around ths eastern window being divided for this purpose into traceried panels; above the window is the figure of Our Lord seated in glory with angels holding trumpets, and on each side of the window are full-length figures of the four greater prophets and the four evangelists bearing scrolls with their names; the whole, designed by the late J. P. St. Aubyn esq. and executed by Messrs. Powell, together with the accompanying tablet, cost over £200: the side light in the chancel was filled with coloured glass as a memorial by children of the late archdeacon: there are sittings for 700 persons.