St Thomas of Canterbury's Church, Camelford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Thomas of Canterbury’s Church, Camelford |
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St Thomas of Canterbury’s Church, Camelford
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 St Thomas of Canterbury’s Church, Camelford
Location in Cornwall
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| 50°37′26.6″N 04°40′38″W / 50.624056°N 4.67722°W | |
| Location | Camelford, Cornwall |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Thomas of Canterbury |
| Consecrated | 6 August 1938 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Sir Charles Nicholson, 2nd Baronet |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Lanteglos by Camelford with Advent |
| Deanery | Trigg Minor and Bodmin |
| Archdeaconry | Bodmin |
| Diocese | Truro |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Thomas of Canterbury's Church in Camelford, Cornwall, is a church that belongs to the Church of England. It is part of the Diocese of Truro. This church is known as a chapel-of-ease. This means it's a smaller church built to help people in a large parish attend services more easily, without having to travel far to the main parish church.
History of the Church Building
The current church building was constructed between 1937 and 1938. It was designed by a famous architect named Sir Charles Nicholson, 2nd Baronet. The church has a special old font, which is a basin used for baptisms. This medieval font was given to the church by the Cowlard family from Launceston.
A well-known expert on buildings, Pevsner, described the church as "a minor delight." He noted that it fits well into its surroundings, sitting a bit higher than the main road. He liked its modest size and how it uses local Delabole slate. The church's style is called "understated Romanesque," which means it has simple features inspired by old Roman architecture.
Did you know there was an even older chapel dedicated to St Thomas in Camelford? It existed in medieval times and was first mentioned in records in 1312. This older chapel likely stopped being used after the Reformation, a big change in the church during the 16th century.
Church Community and Parish
St Thomas of Canterbury's Church is part of a larger group of churches called a "joint benefice." This means it shares a vicar or priest with other churches nearby. This helps the churches work together and share resources.
The churches in this joint benefice are:
Beautiful Stained Glass Windows
The church is home to some beautiful stained glass windows. These windows were created by talented artists and add a lot of colour and light to the building.
Two important windows are:
- The Chancel east window, made in 1938 by Martin Travers.
- The South Chapel east window, also made in 1938, by Theodora Salusbury.
