St Laud's Church, Mabe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Church of Saint Laudus, Mabe
The 15th-century tower of the Church of Saint Laudus.
Religion
Affiliation	Anglican
District	Diocese of Truro
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Parish church
Location
Location	Mabe, Cornwall, England
Architecture
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Gothic, Gothic Revival
Materials	Rubble with granite dressings Slate roofs

The Church of Saint Laudus, also known as Mabe Church, is an old and important church located in Mabe, Cornwall, England. It was first built a very long time ago in the 15th century and is named after a special person called Saint Laudus of Coutances. This church is part of the Church of England and belongs to the Diocese of Truro.

Imagine a huge lightning bolt hitting the church! That's what happened in the 19th century, and much of the church had to be rebuilt. But don't worry, some parts of the original old church are still there. Because of its history and special design, it has been recognized as a Grade II* listed building since 1957. This means it's a very important historical building that needs to be protected. Today, St Laudus' church is a welcoming place for everyone, working together with the church in Ponsanooth.

What is the Church of Saint Laudus like today?

The Church of Saint Laudus is still a busy and active church, holding at least one service every week. It shares a single vicar (a type of priest) with another church, St Michael and All Angels in Ponsanooth. Both churches are part of a larger group called a benefice, which is part of the Deanery of Carnmarth South in the Diocese of Truro.

How old is Mabe Church?

Mabe was once a smaller church connected to Mylor. Old records show it was called the "Chapel of St Laud" as early as 1302. In 1308 or 1309, a bishop officially opened the church's burial ground and held a special ceremony there. Some old writings suggest the name "Lavabe" might come from "lan" (meaning a church enclosure) and "Mabe." However, other sources say the church was named after a different saint, St Mabe.

What happened to the church over time?

The area of Mabe became its own separate parish (a church district) during the 1800s. In February 1866, a big lightning strike damaged the church. Only parts of it, like the tower and the porch, survived. Most of the church had to be rebuilt in 1868. This big project was led by an architect named Piers St. Aubyn. Many people helped pay for the repairs, especially Miss Williams from Falmouth and William Shilson from Tremough.

During the rebuilding, the north side of the church was updated. It even reused some 15th-century windows. If you visit the porch, you'll see a special basin called a stoup in the wall, used for holy water. The original old stone basin used for baptisms, called a font, is now buried under the church floor.

What does the Church of Saint Laudus look like?

The church has several main parts: the chancel (the area around the altar), the nave (the main part where people sit), and aisles on the north and south sides. While most of the church, including its tall west tower and porches, was built in the 15th century, some parts of the chancel are even older, from the 13th or 14th century. Inside, the walls are plastered, and the church has strong, eight-sided pillars and arches. Most of the church is built from rough stone called rubble with smooth granite details.

South door

Detail of south door

Portrait head on right of south door

The main way to enter the church is through a south-facing porch. It has two arches, one inside and one outside. The outer arch is decorated with a rope-like pattern and leaves. The inner arch, made of a stone called Caen stone, has special symbols carved into it: a monogram (like a fancy initial) that says i h c and a Greek cross inside a circle. The west doorway also has carved designs and carved heads. A small, round doorway for the priest is located near the stairs. Inside, the arcades (rows of arches) are made of granite arches resting on granite pillars.

The nave and chancel share one roof, which is supported by arches and braces. The roofs are made of Delabole slate and have pointed ends called gables. A staircase that once led to a rood screen (a screen separating the nave from the chancel) sticks out on the south wall. The tower and the south aisle are made of smooth granite blocks. The west tower is strong and doesn't have extra supports (buttresses). It has a decorated top with battlements and pointed decorations called crocket pinnacles.

The windows are mostly tall and narrow, with three sections of glass, though the east window has four sections. Some windows have fancy stone patterns called tracery. The east window in the chancel is decorated with carved bumps called bosses.

What musical instruments are in the church?

In 1920, a new organ was added to the church. It's a large instrument with two keyboards and pedals, and it has 10 different sounds, called stops.

How many bells does the church have?

In 1870, records showed that out of four or five bells cast in 1744, only one was still working well. So, in 1876, a company called John Warner & Sons made at least four new bells for the church. These four bells are still used today as the back four of the church's current ring of six bells, which are used for a special type of bell ringing called change ringing. The two newest bells were made by John Taylor & Co in 1930.

What is special about the churchyard?

The church and its churchyard cover an area of about 0.164 hectares. The churchyard is a very interesting place because it contains a menhir (a tall, ancient standing stone) and several old gravestones that are important historically.

Many structures in the churchyard became Grade II listed buildings in 1988, meaning they are also historically important. These include:

• A chest tomb and three headstones for the Rail Family, located about 8 meters southwest of the church.
• A chest tomb next to the church's north wall, which has a slate lid but is mostly buried.
• A cross located about 1 meter southwest of the church's porch.
• A headstone located about 3 meters east of the church.
• A granite headstone from 1774 dedicated to "MH," located about 0.5 meters south of the church.
• A stone monolith (a single large stone) that is probably from before the Norman conquest of England (before 1066), located about 10 meters south of the church's tower.
• The Wills granite headstone slab from around 1840, located about 4 meters south of the church.

Images for kids

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  Reworked Celtic cross near west door

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  Menhir in churchyard

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  Gravestone of John Jennings (died 1878) in churchyard