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The Great Britain Guide

Historic churches · South West England

St Nonna's Church, Altarnun

Norman & medievalFree admission

St Nonna's Church, Altarnun — church in Altarnun, Cornwall, England, UK.

St Nonna's Church, Altarnun, historic churches in South West England

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
30 min–1 h
Nearest railway station
Mansion House Station · 6.5 km
  • Free entry

About

St Nonna's Church, Altarnun is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1150. Heritage designation: Grade I listed building. Affiliated with Anglicanism. Named after Non. Wikidata describes it as: "church in Altarnun, Cornwall, England, UK". Coordinates: 50.6046°, -4.5128°.

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Heritage listing

St Nonna's Church, also known as the Cathedral of the Moors, is the second largest church on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, located in the village of Altarnun (meaning: "altar of Nonn"). The dedication is to Saint Non or Nonna, who was the mother of St David. The church is mentioned in Daphne du Maurier's Jamaica Inn; it is the church in which the evil vicar of Altarnun Francis Davey depicts himself in a painting as a wolf while the members of his congregation have the heads of sheep. The church is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Trigg Major, the archdeaconry of Bodmin, and the diocese of Truro. Its benefice is united with those of Saint Sidwell and Saint Gulval, Laneast, and Saint Clederus, St Clether.

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.

Protected designations

  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cornwall

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

St Nonna's Church, also known as the Cathedral of the Moors, is the second largest church on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, located in the village of Altarnun (meaning: "altar of Nonn"). The dedication is to Saint Non or Nonna, who was the mother of St David. The church is mentioned in Daphne du Maurier's Jamaica Inn; it is the church in which the evil vicar of Altarnun Francis Davey depicts himself in a painting as a wolf while the members of his congregation have the heads of sheep. The church is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Trigg Major, the archdeaconry of Bodmin, and the diocese of Truro. Its benefice is united with those of Saint Sidwell and Saint Gulval, Laneast, and Saint Clederus, St Clether. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The oldest fabric dates back to the Norman era. Most of the church dates from the later part of the 15th century, at which time the north and south aisles were added. The church was restored in 1867 by E. Sedding.

Architecture

It is a building largely of the 15th century in the Perpendicular style, with a tower 109 ft high. It is notable for the fine Norman font and the amount of old woodwork, including the screen, bench-ends and communion rails which date to 1684. The screen is one of the finest 15th century examples in Cornwall; it has three gates and the cornice of vines and tracery and vaulting are finely carved. The 79 bench-end carvings were executed by Robert Daye between 1510 and 1530 (Pevsner attributes them to 1524 or later) and portray a range of subjects including a Cornish piper and fiddler (Daye's name is given on one but the date is illegible). Also, one of the damaged pew ends was repaired to its…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
50.6046, -4.5128
District
Cornwall
Parish
Altarnun
Postcode
PL15 7SJ
Parliamentary constituency
North Cornwall
Established
1150
Nearest railway station
Mansion House Station6.5 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is St Nonna's Church, Altarnun?
St Nonna's Church, Altarnun is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode PL15 7SJ), in the parish of Altarnun.
When was St Nonna's Church, Altarnun built?
Built or established in 1150.
Is St Nonna's Church, Altarnun a listed building?
St Nonna's Church, Altarnun is officially recognised as Grade I listed building listed.
Is St Nonna's Church, Altarnun a protected site?
Yes — St Nonna's Church, Altarnun is part of the Cornwall National Landscape (AONB).
Is St Nonna's Church, Altarnun free to visit?
Yes, St Nonna's Church, Altarnun is free to enter.
How do I get to St Nonna's Church, Altarnun?
The nearest railway station is Mansion House Station, about 6.5 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode PL15 7SJ.