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The Great Britain Guide

Historic churches · South West England

Golant

In or near Polruan.

Free admission4.7 · 517 Google reviews££

Golant (Cornish: Golnans) is a village in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is on the west bank of the River Fowey and in the civil parish of St Sampson. Golant is about two miles (3.2 km) n

Houses on the Hillside - geograph.org.uk - 735188

Tony Atkin — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
30 min–1 h
Nearest railway station
Par · 4.5 km
  • Free entry

About

Golant (Cornish: Golnans) is a village in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is on the west bank of the River Fowey and in the civil parish of St Sampson. Golant is about two miles (3.2 km) north of Fowey and seven miles (11 km) east of St Austell. Golant church is dedicated to St Sampson of Dol. The poet John Betjeman remarked that its pews were "extremely uncomfortable, recall the fidgets of Gus and Flora in Ravenshoe". The church was mentioned in the book England’s Thousand Best Churches by Simon Jenkins. The village is on the Saints' Way long-distance footpath.

Photo gallery

See it from the streetimagery from 2025

Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0

Protected designations

  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cornwall

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Golant (Cornish: Golnans) is a village in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is on the west bank of the River Fowey and in the civil parish of St Sampson. Golant is about two miles (3.2 km) north of Fowey and seven miles (11 km) east of St Austell. Golant church is dedicated to St Sampson of Dol. The poet John Betjeman remarked that its pews were "extremely uncomfortable, recall the fidgets of Gus and Flora in Ravenshoe". The church was mentioned in the book England’s Thousand Best Churches by Simon Jenkins. The village is on the Saints' Way long-distance footpath.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

A once well-used ford crossed the river near Golant. During the English Civil War in 1644 a 10,000-strong parliamentary army fought Royalist forces in the area. King Charles was in the area during the campaign. The Earl of Essex and other prominent parliamentarians escaped by boat to Plymouth. Many 17th century cannonballs and musket balls have been found in the area. Golant Halt was a railway station situated beside the river south of the village. It was served by trains on the Great Western Railway's Fowey branch line from 1 July 1896 until 4 January 1965. The station has been demolished and the site is now a car park. The nearest railway station is now at .

Description

The Sawmills recording studio was established in 1974. The main building is a 17th-century water mill and the site has a documented history stretching back to the 11th century. Artists such as The Stone Roses, The Verve and Swans have recorded at the Sawmills. The Oasis album Definitely Maybe was also recorded there. The studio was featured in the BBC programme Three Men in More Than One Boat starring Rory McGrath, Griff Rhys Jones and Dara Ó Briain shown in January 2009. Little recording takes place at Sawmills nowadays and the building is principally used as a holiday let.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
50.3629, -4.6416
District
Cornwall
Parish
St. Sampson
Postcode
PL23 1LN
Parliamentary constituency
St Austell and Newquay
Nearest railway station
Par4.5 km

Sources

  • wikipedia: Golant (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Other places nearby

Nearby

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Where to eat & stay near Golant

Places to stay

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Hostels · South West England

Golant YHA

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Hotels · South West England

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Lambs Barn Camping Ground

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Places to eat & drink

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Golant?
Golant is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode PL23 1LN), in the parish of St. Sampson.
What is Golant?
Golant (Cornish: Golnans) is a village in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is on the west bank of the River Fowey and in the civil parish of St Sampson. Golant is about two miles (3.2 km) n
How do I get to Golant?
The nearest railway station is Par, about 4.5 km away. Drivers can use postcode PL23 1LN.
Is Golant a protected site?
Yes — Golant is part of the Cornwall National Landscape (AONB).
Is Golant free to visit?
Yes, Golant is free to enter.
How do I get to Golant?
The nearest railway station is Par, about 4.5 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode PL23 1LN.