Cardinham church

St Meubred’s church stands tall on its hill on the edge of Bodmin moor. In the distance can be seen an Iron Age hill fort from which the village probably gets its name.

It is a fine church of conventional symmetrical form – nave, chancel and two side aisles – with the roof flowing from nave to chancel without a break. The two side aisles have retained their traditional wagon roofs.

It was restored by Fellows-Prynne in 1907 and then by E H Sedding in 1921 but both treated it kindly. The Victorian habit of carrying out major re-organisations had obviously passed.

The church contains a series of small delights rather than any outstanding feature.

There is a fine Norman font as well as small slender and rather elegant Georgian one which has been displaced and stands alone in the north aisle.

The most unusual feature is a fine carved wooden sideboard at the west end of the north aisle. This came from a local farmhouse but beyond that, little is known about its provenance. The carvings of the Coronation of the Virgin and four saints are fine. Is it C15 perhaps?

Also look out for:

The early C15 brass of Rev Thomas Awmarle (hidden under a rug in the chancel) which shows him with a sword which is unusual
Cardinham: the chancel

The Easter sepulchre and sedilia in the chancel
The large memorial to the Glynn family over the Lady Chapel altar
The remaining bench ends some of which have been re-purposed on the low rood divide
The modern glass which features the local industries of farming, fishing and mining

In the churchyard outside is a very fine Cornish cross from the C9 or C10 which has interlacing on its shaft. There is also an inscribed stone which looks a bit of a mongrel with different period shaft and cross head, just by the east gate.

I cannot leave you without two bits of uplifting Vicar-verse:

Reader, Upon this stone You see our Names,
Beneath it rest in Peace our mortal frames,
Chearful, thank God, we bad this World Adieu,