St Enodoc's Church, Trebetherick

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Basic information
St Enodoc's Church, Trebetherick
St Enodoc's Church
Shown within Cornwall
Location	Trebetherick, Cornwall, England
Geographic coordinates	50°33′28″N 4°55′15″W / 50.5578, -4.9207Coordinates: 50°33′28″N 4°55′15″W / 50.5578, -4.9207
Religious affiliation	Anglican
District	Diocese of Truro
Ecclesiastical status	Chapel of ease
Architectural description
Architect(s)	J. P. St Aubyn
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Gothic, Gothic Revival
Year completed	1864
Specifications
Materials	Stone rubble with slate roofs

St Enodoc's Church, Trebetherick is a chapel of ease in the parish of St Minver. It is located to the south of the village of Trebetherick, Cornwall, England grid reference SW931772). It is a Grade I listed building.^[1]

The church is situated in sand dunes above Padstow Bay, on the opposite side of the Camel Estuary to the town of Padstow. The wind has blown the sand to form banks that are almost level with the roof on two sides. From the 16th century to the middle of the 19th century, the church was virtually buried by the dunes and was known locally as "Sinking Neddy"^{[citation needed]} or "Sinkininny Church".^[1] To maintain the tithes required by the church, it had to host services at least once a year, so the vicar and parishioners descended into the sanctuary through a hole in the roof. By 1864 it was finally unearthed and the dunes were finally stabilized.^[2] Today, the church is surrounded by the Church Course of the St Enodoc Golf Club.^[3]

1 History
2 Structure
3 Fittings and furniture
4 External features
5 Culture
6 See also
7 Notes
8 References

[edit] History

The church is said to lie on the site of a cave where St Enodoc lived as a hermit.^[4] The oldest fabric in the church dates from around the 12th century. Additions were made in the 13th and 15th centuries. By the 18th century the church was partly submerged in sand.^[1] During the 19th century the sand was removed and the church was cleaned and restored under the direction of the vicar, Rev. Hart Smith.^[4] The architectural restoration was carried out in 1863–64 by J. P. St Aubyn.^[1]

[edit] Structure

The church is built in stone rubble with slate roofs. Its plan consists of a nave and chancel, a three-bay aisle to the south of the chancel, a north transept leading to the tower, which unusually is to the north of the church, and a south porch. The tower is in two stages and is surmounted by a low broach spire. On all four faces are small trefoil-headed belfry openings. ^[1]

[edit] Fittings and furniture

The furnishings were largely replaced in 1863–64 although the base of a rood screen dating from around the 15th century has survived. The granite font dates from the 12th century. It has a lead lined round bowl which stands on a shaft carved with cable moulding on a round base. A memorial stone to John Mably who died in 1687 is in the south porch. Inside the church on the south wall is a memorial to Ernest Edward Betjeman, the father of Sir John Betjeman, who died in 1934.^[1]

[edit] External features

In the churchyard are two headstones^[5]^[6] and three tomb chests^[7]^[8] which are listed Grade II. Also in the churchyard are the graves of the former poet laureate John Betjeman,^[4] and of Fleur Lombard, the first female firefighter to die on duty in peacetime Britain.^[9] About 0.6 miles (1 km) to the south of the church is Jesus Well. This is a holy well over which is a stone rubble wellhouse which was rebuilt probably in the 19th century and restored in the 20th century. The wellhouse is a Grade II listed building.^[10]^[11]

[edit] Culture

John Betjeman referred to the church in his poem Sunday Afternoon Service at St. Enodoc.^[4] The church is one of the starting places on the Cornwall episode of the TV game show Interceptor.^{[citation needed]}