St Martin's Church, Liskeard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Martin’s Church, Liskeard
St Martin’s Church, Liskeard
St Martin’s Church, Liskeard Location in Cornwall
50°27′11.28″N 04°27′36.65″W / 50.4531333°N 4.4601806°W / 50.4531333; -4.4601806
Location	Liskeard, Cornwall
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Broad Church
History
Dedication	Martin of Tours
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II* listed
Specifications
Length	136 feet (41 m)
Width	58 feet (18 m)
Height	85 feet (26 m)
Spire height	85 feet (26 m)
Administration
Parish	Liskeard
Deanery	West Wivelshire
Archdeaconry	Bodmin
Diocese	Truro
Province	Canterbury

St Martin's Church in Liskeard is a special place of worship in Liskeard, Cornwall. It's a Church of England parish church and is actually the second-biggest parish church in Cornwall! Only St Petroc's Church, Bodmin is larger.

History of the Church

The squint, a special window in the church

This church has parts that are very old, from the Norman times. But most of it was built in the 1400s. For example, the South Chapel was added in 1428. The south chancel aisle followed in 1430. More parts were added to the north side in 1477.

The church tower was fixed up in 1675. However, it was mostly rebuilt between 1898 and 1902. This big project cost about £6,400 at the time. John Sampson from Liskeard was in charge of this work.

Restoring the Building

The main church building was restored between 1878 and 1879. This cost over £3,700. Richard Coad, an architect from Liskeard and London, led this restoration. Mr. Lang was the contractor who did the building work. The inside of the church was also restored again in 1890.

Ancient Stone Crosses

In the churchyard, you can find two old stone crosses. They are called Tencreek cross and Culverland cross. The Tencreek cross was found on a farm in 1903. It was moved to the churchyard in 1908. The Culverland cross was also moved here in 1908. People think it came from a place near Trevecca.

Modern Renovation

In late 2018, St Martin's Church had a big renovation. The church was closed for a while during this time. People went to St Keyne's Church or services in the church halls. The renovation finished on September 9th.

This project made many improvements to the church. They replaced the old pews with chairs that can be put away. A new heating system was installed to keep everyone warm. The church also got much better audio and video equipment. The toilets were improved, and a small cafe was added.

The Church Organ

An organ was first put in the church in 1844. It was built by James Chapman Bishop and cost £300. Mr Marsh, who used to be an organist in Penzance, played it for the first time on November 24, 1844.

This organ was later replaced in 1879. Hele and Company built the new organ for £200. Only two parts from the old organ were kept. In 1914, William Hill and Son renovated and made the organ bigger.

Hele and Company rebuilt the organ again in 1923. This time, it cost £1,000. Hubert Stanley Middleton gave the first concert on the rebuilt organ on June 20, 1923. The organ was restored once more in 1980 by Lance Foy. Today, it has three keyboards and 40 different sounds. You can find more details about it on the National Pipe Organ Register.

The Church Bells

The tower of St Martin's Church has eight bells. They are tuned to the key of E flat. Each bell has its own history and maker:

• The 1st, 2nd, and 6th bells were made by Mears and Stainbank in 1901.
• The 3rd bell was made by John Pennington in 1819.
• The 4th bell was made by Christopher Pennington in 1755.
• The 5th bell was made by Thomas Mears in 1825.
• The 7th bell is from 1735, made by John Pennington.
• The largest bell, called the tenor, weighs about 13.41 long cwt (which is around 681 kg). It was also made by Christopher Pennington in 1755.

Parish Information

St Martin's Church is part of a joint parish. This means it shares its parish with St Keyne's Church in St Keyne.