St Paul's Church, Charlestown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Paul's Church
St Paul's Church
Religion
Affiliation	Church of England
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Active
Year consecrated	1851
Location
Location	Charlestown, Cornwall, England
Architecture
Architectural type	Church

St Paul's Church is a special church in Charlestown, a village in Cornwall, England. It belongs to the Church of England. The church was built between 1849 and 1851. It is considered an important historical building and has been a Grade II listed site since 1999. This means it's protected because of its history and architecture.

The Story of St Paul's Church

Why a New Church Was Needed

In 1846, Charlestown became its own separate parish, or church area, away from St Austell. At this time, many more people were moving to Charlestown. This was because of the growing industries in the area. At first, church services were held in a room near the Pier House Hotel. But soon, the community wanted a proper church building.

Building the Church

People in the community helped raise money for the new church. They did this by giving donations. In 1848, the owners of Charlestown gave a piece of land for the church. Other groups also gave money. The Church Building Commissioners gave £300, the Incorporated Society gave £250, and the Exeter Diocesan Society gave £150.

The first stone of St Paul's Church was laid on November 27, 1849. This was done by Charles Graves-Sawle. The church was built by William Kitt and William Drew from St Austell. The design for the church came from Christopher Eales, an architect from London. The church was officially opened and blessed on May 30, 1851. This ceremony was led by the Bishop of Exeter, Henry Phillpotts.

Adding the Spire

When the church was first built, it didn't have the tall spire it was meant to have. There wasn't enough money at the time. For many years, it had a small, temporary wooden bell tower.

In 1970, a new effort began to raise money for a permanent spire. A. L. Rowse, a famous historian, helped support this effort. The new spire and bell tower were built between 1971 and 1972. They were blessed on July 28, 1972, by the Bishop of Truro, Maurice Key.

The church received four new bells as gifts. One of these bells was given by the famous writer and actor, Sir Noël Coward. He visited Charlestown in 1972. It was his first visit since he had stayed there in the summer of 1914.

Changes Over Time

Over the years, parts of St Paul's Church have been updated. In 1951, the main part of the church, called the nave, was changed. A new granite altar was also added. In 1964, a room for the choir and a sacristy (a room for church items) were built. These were designed by D. H. Brand. In 2001, a special small chapel for women, called a lady chapel, was created. In 2007, the old church pews were replaced with new chairs.

What St Paul's Church Looks Like

Building Materials and Style

St Paul's Church is built from strong granite stone. This stone came from a quarry near Stenalees. The roofs are made of slate. The church is built in the Early English style. This is a type of church architecture that was popular in England a long time ago.

Inside the Church

The church was designed to hold 570 people. It has a cruciform plan, which means it's shaped like a cross from above. It includes a nave (the main area), north and south aisles (side sections), transepts (the arms of the cross), a chancel (the area around the altar), a vestry, and a porch.

The original pulpit (where the priest speaks) and reading desk were made of carved oak. These were gifts from local people. The font, used for baptisms, was made of granite and given by T. G. Vawdrey. In 1933, the pulpit was replaced with a new one given by the Mothers' Union.

The church also has an organ. It was built by a company called Messrs Hele & Co from Plymouth. The bell tower, built in 1971-72, is made of a special stone material. It holds six bells made by John Taylor & Co from Loughborough. The spire on top is made of a modern material called glass reinforced plastic.