Page:County Churches of Cornwall.djvu/56

34 THE CHURCHES OF CORNWALL Sancreed, Sheviock, Sithney, Treneglos, St. Veep, and St. Winnow. It was customary in the better churches, especially in the chancel or its aisles, to have small full-length figures of angels standing on corbels, carved on the wall-plates, and placed at the springing of the braces. Some of these angels may still be observed at Bodmin, St. Ive, St. Ives, St. Kew, St. Mullion, St. Neot, Padstow, and St. Stephen-by-Saltash. By the end of the 15 th cent., there was probably not a single parish church left in Cornwall which did not possess a more or less handsome CHANCEL SCREEN surmounted by rood and rood-loft. This wealth of woodwork, as shown also in the well- carved benches, is a proof of the fervour of Cornish church building in Tudor days, for this wind-swept county was in many parts but poorly equipped with trees. The evidence of the use of the rood-lofts is nowhere else in England so conspicuous and of such constant occurrence. In addition to a con- siderable number of instances where the remains of previous rood-stairs can be readily traced, they are extant in fairly substantial repair, with upper and lower doorways, in about 60 churches. There is generally a projection in the outer wall to cover the newel stairs. The most usual side for access was the N. ; 36 of the extant rood- stairs are on the N. side, and 23 on the S. At St. Just-in-Penwith and at St. Cury there are stairs in the walls of both aisles, and two