Church

St Tallan, Talland

St Tallan, Talland

St Tallan’s is a Grade I Church of England parish church on the cliff top at Talland Bay, Cornwall, in the Diocese of Truro, with a rare detached tower linked to the south door by a covered porch.

Location
Talland, Cornwall
Country
England
County
Cornwall
City / town
Talland
Address
Talland Bay, Talland, Cornwall, PL13 2JA
Postcode
PL13 2JA
Built
c.13th century; largely late 15th century; north transept early 16th century
Denomination
Church of England
Dedication
Tallan
Diocese
Truro
Parish
Talland
Grade
I
Style
Perpendicular
Materials
Stone rubble with slate roofs; nave and chancel in one
Opening hours
Open daily during summer between 10am to 4pm.
Access
Level access to the main areas. Accessible toilets nearby

Overview

Historic England records a parish church of about the thirteenth century, associated with Augustinian monks from Launceston Priory, of which fabric survives at the west end of the nave, the east end of the chancel and possibly the lower stage of the tower. The remainder is late fifteenth century, with the north transept (Killigarth Chapel) probably added in the early sixteenth century. Restorations took place in 1848–50 and 1907. The fabric is stone rubble with slate roofs, nave and chancel in one, a six-bay nave, south aisle and north transept.

The south aisle has five three-light uncusped Perpendicular windows. The chancel retains a circa thirteenth-century three-light lancet, and three lancets in the west wall also date the earlier work. The parish history notes carved bench ends and wagon roofs that escaped much sixteenth-century destruction. The dedication is to St Tallan (also Tallanus); the parish suggests the name may derive from Cornish tal lan, a holy place on the brow of a hill.

Further Information