The Church Building

Please note that St Gregory's is currently closed for roof repairs, and it will not be possible to visit the church until these have been carried out. Updates will appear on this site in due course.

The present building is almost entirely fifteenth-century, structurally. The dangerous tower was taken down and rebuilt in 1871/2, and there was the common Victorian “restoration” which fortunately failed in its bid to destroy the church’s character.

Except for the porch roof, all the woodwork is Victorian; especially out of place is the three-stage pulpit, incorporating the stairway to the now-vanished Rood Screen. The East window of the chancel is Victorian; it used to be surrounded by murals of angels, ordered from the catalogue but these have long-since been painted over. The Communion rails are difficult to date, probably pre-Victorian.

Points of interest include:

the slate ledger-stone at the end of the North aisle, depicting a shrouded child in a coffin;

the font, which is an interesting example of composition, the bowl being Norman, though the base and grotesque heads are later additions;

the Norman tympanum depicting two beasts facing each other through the tree of life;

the sympathetically rebuilt tower containing four especially sweet-toned Pennington bells (unfortunately incapable of being rung at present, owing to the fragile state of the hangings) with the initials of the churchwardens and vicar cast on the crowns: they are thus dated 1714;

the aisle and nave windows which are four- and three-light standard Cornish perpendicular, with tracery.

A detailed guide to this and other churches in the area is available on site.