Page:County Churches of Cornwall.djvu/153

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THE CHURCHES OF CORNWALL 125 parish of Lelant. Records tell us that as population^ increased, the great inconvenience of proceeding for - all special rites to a church 3 miles distant became more obvious. The townsmen, prospering in fishing £/ industty, resolved to build a much larger chapel in -° their midst, and obtained licence, in 1410, from the K Pope, for due exercise therein of sacraments and ^ sacramentals. This chapel, on a great scale, was 4 i6| years building; it was consecrated by Bishops Lacy in 1428, when he testified that the church was - magnifice tabulata constructa. It consists of chancel and nave with continuous aisles of 7 bays, a further S. aisle or chapel of 2 bays called Trenwith aisle, N. and S. porches, and fine double-buttressed four- staged W. tower 84 ft. high. Walls are of granite throughout, but arches of arcades of Beer and Pennant stone; capitals of later Trenwith aisle arcade are beautifully carved with vine pattern. Fine but much restored early 14th cent, granite font has 4 shield-bearing angels round bowl, on one shield, in raised letters, Omnes baptizate gentes, 4 dragons at base. A general restoration in 1853-4 resulted, inter alia, in clearing away considerable remnants of rood-screen. On this screen stood a large 16th cent, organ, which was broken up by Puritans in 1647. Rood-stairs are at N.W. angle of chapel. Some carved oak benches remain ; the most notable are front panels of a chancel seat, said to be presented by Ralph Clies, master-smith. These panels bear (1) hammer, pincers, nail, and horse-shoe;