St Uny's Church, Lelant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Uny Church, Lelant |
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St Uny Church
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| 50°11′17″N 05°26′06″W / 50.18806°N 5.43500°W | |
| OS grid reference | SW548377 |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Uny |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Lelant, Cornwall |
| Archdeaconry | Cornwall |
| Diocese | Truro |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Uny Church in Lelant, Cornwall, is a special church for the local area. It belongs to the Church of England. The church is named after Saint Uny, who is also a patron saint for the town of Redruth. This historic building is so important that it is listed as a Grade I building. This means it's one of the most important historical buildings in England.
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History of St Uny Church
This church is very old, built in the Middle Ages. It is made completely from strong granite stone. Some parts of the inside arches, called the nave arcades, show a style called Norman. This means they were built around the 11th or 12th century. However, all the windows were added later in a style known as Perpendicular.
Around the year 1150, the church was given to a religious house called Tywardreath Priory. Later, the priory sold it to a church leader named Bishop Bronescombe. In 1272, he gave it to Crediton collegiate church. This meant that the local priest, called a vicar, would live in Lelant.
In the late 1400s and early 1500s, the vicars of Lelant had disagreements with people from nearby towns, Towednack and St Ives. The people wanted to bury their dead in their own towns. When this was finally allowed in 1542, the vicars moved their homes to St Ives. They stayed there for about 300 years.
One of the earliest mentions of the church was in 1170. At that time, Thomas Becket, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury, spoke about "The Church of Saint Euni." People still celebrate the feast day of St Uny on February 1st each year. Like many other churches in Cornwall, St Uny has a special letter. It is from King Charles I, thanking the people of Lelant for their help during the English Civil War.
Repairs and Restoration
At the start of the 1700s, the church was in poor condition. Strong winds often blew sand into the building. In 1727, the local people raised money, about £263, to pay for repairs. Records from 1731 even show a payment of one shilling for a day's work. This work was just to carry sand out of the church!
The church was repaired again in 1873. This type of repair is called a Victorian restoration. It cost £1,175 and was done by an architect named J. D. Sedding.
A few years later, on December 12, 1878, lightning struck the church tower. It hit one of the pointed tops, called a pinnacle. When people checked the tower, they found that the floor where the bells were kept was rotten. The bells were almost falling! Money that was meant for building Truro Cathedral was used instead to fix the tower. The tower was repaired, and the bells were put back in January 1880.
Important People Buried Here
The church has beautiful memorials for two people named William Praed. One is from 1620 and the other from 1833. Their family home was nearby at Trevethow. Other famous people buried here include Henry Jenner (1848–1934). He was the first leader of the Gorseth Kernow, which celebrates Cornish culture. The artist Peter Lanyon (1918–1964) is also buried here.
Church Organ
A new organ was put into the church in 1913. It was built by John Hele from London, Exeter, and Plymouth. This type of organ is called a pipe organ. It was first placed in the north part of the church, near the altar. Later, it was moved to the back of the church. But in 1989, it was moved back to its original spot. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register website.
Church Bells
The church tower has six bells. They were made by a company called John Taylor in Loughborough. The two oldest bells were made in 1836.
