Church of St Nonna, Altarnun
Encyclopedia
The Church of St Nonna also known as the Cathedral of the Moor is the 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 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 has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building.
era. Most of the church dates from the later part of the 15th century, at which time the north and south aisle
s were added. The church was restored
in 1867 by E. Sedding.
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 former glory by the late local master joiner Douglas Edwards in the 1980s. Langdon (1896) records seven stone crosses in the parish, of which one is in the churchyard.
Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor is a granite moorland in northeastern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in size, and originally dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history....
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, located in the village of Altarnun
Altarnun
Altarnun is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is located on the north-eastern edge of Bodmin Moor at .The parish of Altarnun includes the village of Fivelanes and the hamlets of Bolventor, Treween and Trewint, and had a population of 976 according to the 2001 census...
(meaning: "altar of Nonn"). The dedication is to Saint Non
Saint Non
Non was, according to Christian tradition, the mother of Saint David , the patron saint of Wales.-Legend:...
or Nonna, who was the mother of St David. The church is mentioned in Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier
Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning DBE was a British author and playwright.Many of her works have been adapted into films, including the novels Rebecca and Jamaica Inn and the short stories "The Birds" and "Don't Look Now". The first three were directed by Alfred Hitchcock.Her elder sister was...
's Jamaica Inn
Jamaica Inn (novel)
Jamaica Inn is a novel by the English writer Daphne du Maurier, first published in 1936. It was later made into a film, also called Jamaica Inn, by Alfred Hitchcock...
; it is the church in which the evil vicar of Altarnun 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
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the deanery of Trigg Major
Triggshire
The hundred of Trigg was one of ten ancient administrative shires of Cornwall--see "Hundreds of Cornwall".Trigg is mentioned by name during the 7th century, as "Pagus Tricurius", "land of three war hosts". It was to the north of Cornwall, and included Bodmin Moor, Bodmin and the district to the...
, the archdeaconry of Bodmin, and the diocese of Truro
Diocese of Truro
The Diocese of Truro is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury.-Geography and history:The diocese's area is that of the county of Cornwall including the Isles of Scilly. It was formed on 15 December 1876 from the Archdeaconry of Cornwall in the Diocese of Exeter, it is thus one...
. Its benefice is united with those of Saint Sidwell and Saint Gulval, Laneast
Laneast
Laneast is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated above the River Inny valley approximately six miles west of Launceston. The population in the 2001 census was 164.-Geography:...
, and Saint Clederus, St Clether
St Clether
St Clether is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated on the east flank of Bodmin Moor approximately eight miles west of Launceston in the valley of the River Inny....
. The church has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building.
History
The oldest fabric dates back to the NormanNorman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
era. Most of the church dates from the later part of the 15th century, at which time the north and south aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s were added. The church was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1867 by E. Sedding.
Architecture
It is a building largely of the 15th century in the Perpendicular style, with a tower 109 ft (33.2 m) 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 (PevsnerPevsner Architectural Guides
The Pevsner Architectural Guides are a series of guide books to the architecture of the British Isles. Begun in the 1940s by art historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, the 46 volumes of the Buildings of England series were published between 1951 and 1975. The series was then extended to Scotland and...
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 former glory by the late local master joiner Douglas Edwards in the 1980s. Langdon (1896) records seven stone crosses in the parish, of which one is in the churchyard.