St Senara's Church, Zennor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Church of Saint Senara
St Senara's Church in Zennor
Church of Saint Senara Location in Cornwall
50°11′30″N 5°34′03″W / 50.1918°N 5.5674°W / 50.1918; -5.5674
Denomination	Church of England
History
Dedication	Saint Senara
Administration
Parish	Zennor
Deanery	Penwith
Archdeaconry	Cornwall
Diocese	Truro
Province	Canterbury

St Senara's Church is a very old and special church located in Zennor Churchtown, a small village in Cornwall, England. It's the main church for the area, and it's named after a local saint, Saint Senara. This church has been around for at least 1400 years! Even though it's so old, parts of it were rebuilt in the 1100s. It's considered a 'Grade I listed building,' which means it's a very important historic place.

The Church's Long History

A church dedicated to Saint Senara has stood on this spot, looking out over the sea, since at least the 500s AD. The building you see today has parts that are very old, from the Norman period (around the 11th and 12th centuries). Other parts were added later, in the 1200s and 1400s. For example, the north side of the church was built in the 1400s.

Special Features Inside

The church has a tower at the west end. The font, which is a basin used for baptisms, is shaped like an octagon and might be from the 1200s.

One of the most famous things inside the church is the "Mermaid Chair." This chair has a carving of the Mermaid of Zennor on one of its ends. The mermaid is shown looking at herself in a mirror. The chair also has carvings of fish on its seat and is believed to be at least 600 years old. It's a popular spot for visitors!

The Churchyard and Its Stories

Outside the church, on the wall near the south entrance, there's a memorial to John Davy. He was the last person whose first language was Cornish, and he passed away in 1891.

The church is surrounded by a small, round graveyard. This graveyard has been there since the Bronze Age, which was thousands of years ago! People from the village have been buried here for centuries. You can find the graves of famous artists like Bryan Wynter and Patrick Heron here. They both lived in Zennor and found inspiration for their art in the beautiful landscape around the church.

There's a local legend that both St Senara's Church and the church in the nearby village of Morvah claim. The story says that a cow once ate the church's bell-rope! Back then, bell-ropes were sometimes made from straw.

The Church Bells

The tower of St Senara's Church holds six bells. Four of these bells were made in 1926 by a company called Gillett & Johnston. They were added to two older bells that were already there. In 2019, all the bells were fully repaired by John Taylor & Co. This means they can now be used again for change-ringing, which is a special way of ringing church bells in a musical pattern.

St Senara's Church Today

St Senara's is still the main church for the village of Zennor. The village is sometimes called "Zennor Churchtown" to show how important the church is to the community. The church is used regularly for Sunday services. It also hosts special events like weddings and funerals. The current priest in charge is Reverend Elizabeth Foot.

Images for kids

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  Mermaid chair and altar

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  Mermaid chair

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  Interior

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  Baptismal font

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  Zennor churchyard

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  Stained-glass window depicting Saint Senara and Saint Ia

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  Organ