St Sampson's Church, Golant

St Sampson's Church, Golant
Coordinates: 50°21′59″N 04°38′39″W / 50.36639°N 4.64417°W
OS grid reference	SX121552
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Broad Church
Website	www.golant.net
History
Dedication	Samson of Dol
Administration
Parish	Golant
Deanery	St Austell
Archdeaconry	Cornwall
Diocese	Truro
Province	Canterbury
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Philip de Grey-Warter (priest in charge)

St Sampson's Church is the Church of England parish church of the village of Golant, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom; it is dedicated to St Sampson of Dol.

St Sampson's features in Simon Jenkins's book England's Thousand Best Churches, in which it is described as "warm and welcoming".^[1] The poet John Betjeman remarked that its pews were "extremely uncomfortable, recall the fidgets of Gus and Flora in Ravenshoe".^[2] It is open every day of the year, holds services every Sunday and evening prayer every Thursday evening at 6 o’clock. Its choir sings every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month.

History

Saint Samson of Dol

Although Cornwall has more saints than any other county in the UK, Saint Sampson is one of the better known ones. He sometimes stayed in Golant while travelling to Brittany and became the archbishop of Dol. Many Cornish saints travelling from Ireland to France via the south Cornish coast stopped on the way (sometimes in or near the village). There is now a footpath, the Saints' Way, popular with walkers which runs from Padstow on the north coast to Fowey passing through the village and past the church.

Later history

Until 1281 this church was a chapelry of Tywardreath and the people of Golant were required to contribute to the upkeep of Tywardreath church. In the period c. 1460 to 1508 the chapel at Golant was rebuilt and in 1508 they refused to make these contributions. The church and its churchyard were consecrated by a suffragan bishop (acting for Hugh Oldham, the Bishop of Exeter). Before that date burials had to be made at Tywardreath. The nave roof has inscriptions recording that its rebuilding was the work of various craft guilds while the south aisle roof was given by the Colquite family. There is a holy well near the porch enclosed in a 15th-century wellhouse.^[3]

Features of interest

St Sampson is portrayed in some of the stained glass windows in the church. The church has a ring of five bells. The organ was installed in 1995 and is a hybrid using some of the pipes from an organ originally in St Michael's Church, Newquay, and also some from the organ in Paul Parish Church. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register

List of the Vicars of Golant

The Vicars of Golant:^[4]

1528 Richard Baker 1554 William Boyne 1556 Thomas Boyne 1559 Roger Prior 1571 Nicholas Maine 1577 Benedict Tyack 1580 James Penhalurick 1615 Daniel Wetherell ???? Thomas Hore 1640 George Brush 1677 Thomas Sampson 1735 Robert Blatchford

1769 Peter Coryton 1770 R. Eastcott 1780 Wymond Cory 1820 Thomas Pearce 1841 Charles Lyne 1865 George Ross 1888 H. A. Hill 1892 A. H. Langridge 1894 B. F. Trusted 1900 W. H. Sharpe 1902 H. Lines 1919 E. A. L. Clarke

1925 H. Edwards 1934 L. W. Stenson Stenson 1950 H. P. Osborne 1951 W. G. Hayward 1958 R. J. M. May 1963 G. E. J. Whitmore 1965 William J. Hall 1974 M. J. Oatey [--?--] (priest in charge) Philip de Grey-Warter

Ceiling

References

1. Jenkins, Simon (1999) England's Thousand Best Churches Allen Lane, ISBN 0-7139-9281-6
2. Betjeman, John, ed. (1968) Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches; the South. London: Collins; pp. 147-48
3. Cornish Church Guide (1925) Truro: Blackford; p. 193
4. List of Vicars here on parish website

External links

Media related to St. Sampson church at Wikimedia Commons