Marhamchurch
Encyclopedia
Marhamchurch is a civil parish and village in north Cornwall
, United Kingdom
.
Marhamchurch village is situated 1½ miles (2 km) south of Bude
off the A39 road.
, a Welsh saint and king.
Marhamchurch parish church is dedicated to St Marwenne. Most of the present church is of the 14th century; in the 15th century an aisle and porch were added. In the early 15th century the existence of an anchorite's cell occupied by an anchoress called Cecilia Moys is recorded. Features of interest include the four-holed cresset stone and a Norman quarter-capital (though this is unlikely to be a fragment of the Norman church which may have preceded the present building). St Marwenne was probably the same as Morwenna
of Morwenstow. In the 9th century the district was probably on the border between Cornwall and Wessex and the farms in the parish have Saxon names unlike those of Poundstock
on the other side of the River Bude.
, Cornish Wrestling
and other entertainments.
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...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Marhamchurch village is situated 1½ miles (2 km) south of Bude
Bude
Bude is a small seaside resort town in North Cornwall, England, at the mouth of the River Neet . It lies just south of Flexbury, north of Widemouth Bay and west of Stratton and is located along the A3073 road off the A39. Bude is twinned with Ergué-Gabéric in Brittany, France...
off the A39 road.
History
The name derives from the Celtic Saint Marwenne (Morwenna) who is thought to have founded a hermitage here around the end of the fifth century. Marwenne was one of the twenty-four children of St BrychanBrychan
Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog in South Wales.-Life:Celtic hagiography tells us that Brychan was born in Ireland, the son of a Prince Anlach, son of Coronac, and his wife, Marchel, heiress of the Welsh kingdom of Garthmadrun , which the couple later inherited...
, a Welsh saint and king.
Marhamchurch parish church is dedicated to St Marwenne. Most of the present church is of the 14th century; in the 15th century an aisle and porch were added. In the early 15th century the existence of an anchorite's cell occupied by an anchoress called Cecilia Moys is recorded. Features of interest include the four-holed cresset stone and a Norman quarter-capital (though this is unlikely to be a fragment of the Norman church which may have preceded the present building). St Marwenne was probably the same as Morwenna
Morwenna
Saint Morwenna was an early 6th century saint from Morwenstow in Cornwall.Her name at Marhamchurch is recorded as Marwenne and she is also the patron saint of Lamorran. Morwenna is said to have been one of the many children of King Brychan of Brycheiniog...
of Morwenstow. In the 9th century the district was probably on the border between Cornwall and Wessex and the farms in the parish have Saxon names unlike those of Poundstock
Poundstock
Poundstock is a civil parish and a hamlet on the north coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The hamlet is situated four miles south of Bude half-a-mile west of the A39 trunk road about one mile from the coast....
on the other side of the River Bude.
Marhamchurch Revel
Marhamchurch Revel is a festival held every year, on the Monday after 12 August in Marhamchurch. During the festival a Queen of the Revel is chosen from the village schoolgirls and crowned by Father Time in front of the church where St. Morwenna's cells are said to have stood. Following these events a procession led by the local band and the newly crowned Revel Queen then proceeds through the village to the Revel Ground. Here the villagers are entertained with a show of Cornish dancingCornish dance
Cornish dance originates from Cornwall in the British Isles. It has largely been shaped by the Cornish people and the industries they worked in. In most cases, particularly with the step dancing, the dances were still being performed across the region when they were collected...
, Cornish Wrestling
Cornish wrestling
Cornish wrestling is a form of wrestling which has been established in Cornwall, an area of southwest Britain for several centuries. The referee is known as a 'stickler', and it is claimed that the popular meaning of the word as a 'pedant' originates from this usage...
and other entertainments.