The Church
If the car parking space opposite the school is not available, there is a large free car park down the road about 100 m past the school and on the same side of the road.
This church is dedicated to St Wenna sister to St Non (mother of St David patron saint of Wales) This suggests a early 5th Century Celtic church on this site. Not far away is Wenn Manor Hotel built around St Wenna’s Well which you can still see to this day in the bar.
There is no evidence of a Norman church on this site however there is a Norman Font.
A later church was built with a three storey tower.
Sir Michael Tregorra, who was to become vicar of Peranuthnoe was born at Tregurra St Wenn and was a Fellow of Exeter College Oxford from 1422-27. Sir Michael was the first Rector of the University founded at Caen, in Normandy by Henry VI in 1440, Chaplin to that King, and at length in 1449 Archbishop of Dublin where he died in 1471. His effigy still to be seen in St Patricks Cathedral was restored by Dean Swift.
1663-In around this year the tower was struck by lightning and a great part of the roof of the church was broken in. if you look carefully at the present building and what remains of the base of the tower: a considerable amount of work went into those quatrefoil and other mouldings and the while structure was surely meant to support more than the present two stories. Clearly before the lightning there was a third storey.
We do not know if the church remained derelict for some time with a hole in the roof however some work was done between 1663 and 1825.
1737- William Hals Cornish Historian died in this parish at Tregurtha.
1825- The church was largely re-built in this Georgian version where the north and south side aisle pews faced inwards, while the centre was a forest of High-sided cushion- lined box pews, most of them with beautifully carved oaken entrance doors. At the apex of all this stood a high, usually three-decker pulpit, from its two lower decks the parson would recite the prayers and his clerk at suitable intervals would intone 'Amen' the rest of the congregation would mostly remain silent.
The Rashleighs of Menabilly became patrons and acquired the advowson. Stanhope Rashleigh became vicar 1853-83, and his son Arthur Vicar 1899-1904 they re-built the vicarage the present Wenn Manor Hotel, and reconstructed the interior of the church. They employed Piers St Aubyn as their architect. It was at this time the carved pews were removed and replaced by the pitched pine you see today.
Coloured glass followed in due course: the East Window in 1873, those in the south aisle in 1901, all paid for by some of the richer families in the parish. You have to look more closely to spot later memorials. For one example, there is the Victorian chandelier illuminating the 'village pews': for many years the pride and joy of the Demelza Chapel, it now hangs here at the request of the principal Demelza worshippers, it having been made homeless when their small chapel was declared 'redundant'. It hangs there at once as a reminder of past discord and as a witness of present harmony.
A second example is to be found on the left of the central aisle, a small brass tablet recording the long service of Mrs. Mary Bray (Churchwarden 1950-1983). She and her husband John Bray before her, when put together, served as Wardens of this Church for some 55 years in all, she herself for some 33 years.
The Cache
The cache can be found close to the church.
It is a plastic tube 10 cms long by 3 cms in diameter wrapped in camo tape.
You may need tweezers to extract the log and please Bring Your Own Pen.
Stealth will be required if building work at the church is going on - new underfloor heating is being installed.
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