North Hill Church, Cornwall

North Hill Church, Cornwall

North Hill Church is a large building in the centre of North Hill village. North Hill Church is dedicated to St Torney. Nothing is known about this saint, whose Holy Well is situated nearby the river, except that he is also remembered at St Erney, near St Germans. The exact date of the church is unknown, but it is believed to be over 600 years old.

The first incumbent is recorded in 1260

The chancel is 14th century and the rest was built in the late 15th to 16th century. It was restored in 1868

The west tower and south aisle are of regular granite blocks and probably worked by the same masons that worked at St Neot Church. The tower has three stages, is buttressed on the square, and is finished with battlements and crocketeed pinnacles. The belfry contains six bells.

Four bay arcades with slim monolith granite pillars of standard Cornish design carrying wide arches and original ceiled wagon roofs.

There is an undecorated Norman font made of freestone standing on a granite base.

Sundial on the wall of the south porch dated 1753.

15th century monuments to the Spoure family including a slate with a skull to Richard Spoure, d. 1603, and kneeling figures of Henry Spoure, d. 1688, with his wife and two children, in the Elizabethan and Jacobean tradition. A tombstone in the porch of Mary Spoure who died in 1646. On the east wall is a coloured slate commemorating Richard Spoure who died as a child in 1653. Beside the monument to Richard Spoure is a very fine elaborate monument to Henry Spoure, only son of Edmund Spoure (brother of the Richard Spoure above) and dated 1668. The tablet is flanked by a man and women under shell niches, and by columns with composite capitals supporting the emblature and a splendid heraldic achievement.

An elaborately carved slate tomb, dated 1606, in memory of Thomas Vincent (of Batten) Gentleman and Jane his Wife, by whom he had issue 8 sonnes and 7 daughters. in the slab of the monument that rests against the wall. Death is pictured holding a scythe and a dart. Below him kneels Thomas Vincent and his wife with their sons and daughters behind them. Two of the children have skulls above them, indicating they were dead when the monument was erected.

Cornwall Churches