"The least spoilt church in Cornwall"
St Swithin’s Church is situated just off the main road from Stratton to Holsworthy in a quiet, wooded valley, by a stream. It is Grade 1 listed and well maintained, being described by Sir John Betjeman as “The least spoilt church in Cornwall”. Famous for the
magnificent medieval carved pew ends and encaustic tiles in the chancel, it contains no stained glass, however, much of the original medieval plain glass remains creating a wonderful soft light. In 2024, St Swithin's Church was awarded an A rocha Eco-church Bronze Award.
We have services every 1st, 2nd and 4th Sunday morning at 11.15am in every month and a Taize service every 3rd Sunday at 6.00pm.
The church is open always and enjoyed by many visitors, as is evident from comments in the visitors’ book. The church is surrounded by a ‘living churchyard’, creating a haven for wild life.
We at St Swithin’s Church are committed to safeguarding all who worship with us and all who visit the church. We recognise that everyone has different levels of vulnerability and that each of us may be regarded as vulnerable at some time in our lives, but there are particular groups of people who need to be cared for. These include children and at-risk adults.
Who to contact with safeguarding concerns:
Concerns about the well-being and safety of children, young people and adults should be reported to our Safeguarding Officer – Mrs Maggie Cooper (07900 898904) email: [email protected]
or in her absence to Rev Teresa Folland (01288 352599).
For advice and help with a safeguarding concern from the Safeguarding team at the Diocese of Truro, please email
[email protected]. The Diocesan Safeguarding Officer is Andy Earl (01872 247212)
Other useful organisations
NSPCC 0808 800 5000 or [email protected]
Where there is an urgent need for intervention for a child, email Cornwall Social Services at
MARU (Multi Agency Referral Unit): [email protected]
Tel: 0300 123 1116 (or out of hours on 01208 251300).
Where there is an urgent need for intervention for an adult, please contact
Cornwall Social Services Safeguarding Team on 0300 1234 131 (or out of hours on 01208 251300).
In an emergency, contact the police via 999.