Description

ST CLETHER
SX 28 SW
4/172 Chapel of St Clether
-
GV II*

Well-chapel dedicated to St Clether. Circa C15 with earlier origins, restored in
1897 by S. Baring-Gould. Granite and local stone rubble with moulded granite plinth
and parapet coping. Slate roof with gable ends.
Plan: The chapel is orientated east-west some 1.5m to the south of the Holy Well
(qv). The chapel is of rectangular plan with an entrance in the west end and in the
north side. The water from the well house is conveyed by underground channel and
then along a cut granite channel under the east wall of the chapel. S. Baring-Gould
cited Ezekiel xlvii, where the living waters in Ezekiel's vision are described "He
brought me unto the door of the house: and, behold waters issued out from under the
threshold of the house eastwardly, for the forefront of the house stood toward the
east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the
south side of the altar:" which describes the similar flow of the waters in this
well-chapel where it flows under the east wall, passing through a small opening to
the north east of the altar, then through a second opening on the south side of the
altar and then under the floor into a second Holy well which is formed in the
thickness of the wall of the chapel on the outer south-side. There is also a second
small niche behind the altar, close to the water flow which may have been used house
a relic of a saint (see S. Baring-Gould).
Exterior: Single storey chapel standing in isolated position, directly to south of
well house.
On the west elevation is a depressed 2-centred hollow chamfered granite arch with
pyramid stops and a C20 door. 2-light C19 Perpendicular window above. Hollow
chamfered granite arch to entrance in north elevation, 3-light Perpendicular window
at east end and in south east corner of south elevation is a small recess with a
hollow chamfered granite arch. Within this recess is a second Holy well with a
rectangular well sump, fed from the water which has passed under the east wall of the
chapel. To the rear of this niche is a small shelf with a door above. Baring-Gould
and Sedding suggested that the shelf was for thanksgiving donations from pilgrims and
the door above to allow the priest to collect the donations from within the chapel.
Interior: Simple interior with late C19 roof. Early altar; granite slab incised
with five crosses standing on four tapered granite piers. On the north east of
altar, at base of east wall a small niche through which water may be seen. Dressed
granite surround to niche to rear of altar, possibly for housing of relic. To right
(south) of altar, floor level sunk to enable diverted water to be taken from inside
chapel.
Photographs in Lane-Davies Holy Wells of Cornwall illustrate the chapel during and
after restoration. Prior to restoration the chapel was roofless and ruinous although
Baring-Gould stated that during the restoration 'every stone was replaced whence it
had fallen'.
Baring-Gould, S. 'The Well-Chapel of St Clether,' Cornish Magazine, Vol I, 1898.
Lane-Davies, A. Holy Wells of Cornwall, reprinted 1970.

Listing NGR: SX2022584587

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17531929

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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