St Ia's Church, St Ives facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Ives Parish Church, Cornwall |
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St Ia's Church, St Ives
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Liberal Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedication | Ia of Cornwall |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Ives |
| Deanery | Penwith |
| Archdeaconry | Cornwall |
| Diocese | Truro |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Ia's Church, also known as St Ives Parish Church, is a historic church in St Ives, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. It belongs to the Church of England. The church is named after Saint Ia, an Irish saint from the 5th or 6th century. It is considered a very important building and is listed as Grade I.
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History of St Ia's Church
The church is dedicated to Saint Ia the Virgin. She was a holy woman from Ireland who lived around the 5th or 6th century. The building you see today was built during the time of King Henry V of England. This means it was constructed between 1410 and 1434.
At first, St Ia's was a "chapel of ease." This meant it was a smaller church built for people who lived far from their main parish church. St Ives was then part of the larger parish of Lelant. In 1826, St Ia's officially became a Church of England parish church on its own.
Architecture and Design
The church's tower is made of granite and has four main sections. It stands over 80 feet (24 meters) tall. The church itself is quite large but not very tall. Its style is more like churches found in Devon than in other parts of Cornwall.
Around the year 1500, the Trenwith family added an outer south aisle. This part of the church is now called the Lady Chapel. Inside, you can find a special statue created by the famous artist Barbara Hepworth.
Inside the Church
The font, which is used for baptisms, is made of granite. It likely dates back to the 15th century. It has carvings of four angels holding shields. In the chancel, which is the area around the altar, there are old wooden benches. Some of these benches have special carvings.
You can also find a brass plaque dedicated to a member of the Trenwith family from 1463. There is also a monument to the Hitchens family, made in 1815 by Garland & Fieldwick.
Church Organ
St Ia's Church has a beautiful pipe organ. It was first installed in 1831. Over the years, it has been carefully repaired and updated. Telford and Telford restored it in 1859, and Hele & Co worked on it in 1907. More recently, Lance Foy restored it in 1993. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register website.
Churchyard Features
Outside the church, in the churchyard, there is a late medieval lantern cross. This cross is ten and a half feet (about 3.2 meters) tall. It stands on an eight-sided stone shaft.
