Church of St Gerrans

St Gerrans Church dates from the 13th century; the first recorded rector appears in 1260. The church stands prominently on a hill overlooking the sea. Parts of the 13th-century building survive in the north wall of the nave and in the north transept. The church was enlarged in the 15th century, when the west tower was built and the south aisle and porch were added. The tower spire was restored in 1636 and is said to have served as a navigation mark for local fishermen. The church is traditionally associated with St Geraint, a Cornish ruler of the 8th century, whose name is thought to be the origin of “Gerrans”. The building was damaged by fire in 1848 and restored in 1850–51. A vestry north…

The church is built of slatestone rubble with granite and freestone dressings, under Delabole slate roofs. It comprises a nave and chancel under one roof, with a west tower, north transept, south aisle, porch, and a vestry north of the chancel. The north wall of the nave retains 13th-century fabric, including lancet windows and a later medieval doorway. The north transept, partly rebuilt in the 15th century, has a two-light window in the north gable and a reset 13th-century window in the east wall. The 15th-century west tower is of two stages with diagonal buttresses, a battlemented parapet, and a tall octagonal granite spire restored in 1636. The moulded granite west doorway lies beneath a…