Matt the Elder's Cornish Adventure
Last week myself and the Big Fella packed our walking boots & the tent and headed off to Cornwall. Cor, what a scorcher! God must be looking favourably upon me to bless my camping and hiking holiday with such wonderful weather! Perhaps God is a fan of m'blog?
I hadn't intended to write about my holiday as it had nothing to do with my being an elder at City Church. However, half way through the holiday I realised that every walk myself and the Big Fella planned involved a detour to a local church. In fact, when I mentioned this to the Big Fella he reminded me that pretty much all our holidays take in numerous churches and synagogues.
And so I thought I would share with you some of the churches we visited during our hiking holiday in Cornwall.
Daphne Du Maurier Country
One of my favourite authors is Daphne Du Maurier. Rebecca, Jamaica Inn and Frenchman's Creek are some of my favourite novels. We often spend a week or so in Cornwall and more often than not we spend it in Polruan, just across the estuary from Fowey - where Du Maurier lived and which served as an inspiration for many of her Cornish novels. It is a beautiful area and one we consider to be our second home.
We walked every day and averaged about 8-9 miles of coastal and countryside trails. So, without further ado, here are some of the churches we visited.
St Julitta, Lanteglos
Walking from Polruan to Pont we decided to take a short diversion to visit Lanteglos, the church where Du Maurier was married. It proved to be the perfect spot for lunch. The churchyard was beautiful and clearly a haven for wildlife. Inside, the church was an oasis of calm and the cool temperature was a much needed respite from the heatwave outside!
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| A view from across the churchyard |
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| Looking ahead to the alter |
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| Taken from above |
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| This robin was not shy! |
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| Churchyard |
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| A monk's tomb |
St John, Bodinnick
We have been to Bodinnick many, many times but we had never spotted this delightful little church. It's right at the end of the Hall Walk path and just up from the Ship Inn. A wonderful discovery!
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| A hidden gem |
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| A view of the alter |
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| Close-up of the alter |
St Andrew, Tywardraeth
We stopped at St Andrew's church in Tywardraeth after completing The House on the Strand walk. It was one of the hottest days and we were flagging! We couldn't wait for half a Cornish cider at the nearest pub but delayed the pleasure so we could visit St Andrew's.
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| The impressive St Andrew's |
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| Looking towards the alter |
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| A view from behind |
St Ildierna, Lansallos
That we actually visited this church is in itself a miracle. Throughout most of the walk St Ildierna was always in our sights, getting closer and closer each step. Until, that is, we dipped into a valley and took a wrong turn. Of course, being the one holding a map this was all my fault! I'll admit, harsh words were exchanged but eventually we found the church.
Again, a delightful church and one that offered us hot and frustrated hikers a moment to regroup and thank God that we are fortunate to be able to take holidays and walk such distances together.
No visit to Fowey is complete without a visit to the church. Fowey is often packed with visitors so this church is a welcome break from the crowds.
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| Close up of the alter |
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| A view from the back |
We had a fantastic time and I hope you have enjoyed reading about the churches we visited. I have one more blog to post about my holiday which will look at some of the unique things some of these churches are doing to welcome visitors, some of which I think may work at City Church.
Have you visited the churches mentioned above? What are some of your favourite churches? Please do share your thoughts below.
With best wishes,
