England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Lanivet St Nivet

The Parish

The parish of Lanivet lies almost centrally within Cornwall about 3 miles southwest of the large town of Bodmin. Lanivet is a substantial village which sits a little over a half mile north of the busy A30 road which connects western Cornwall all the way through to London. Lanivet is largely built on the eastern slopes of a small valley which runs northward from the A30, either along the A389 (which forms one of Bodmin's main access to that fast road) or eastwards past the church. Lanivet was largely a farming centre with most land devoted to pastoral farming, it sits away from the main ore sources that powered Cornwall's extractive industries. Today Lanivet remains a local centre with most village facilities remaining including shops and inns. Modern developments have created the A30, a dual-carriageway road designed to facilitate movement along the peninsula, the former route of the A30 being left as minor roads and the A389 to Lanivet's north. Lanivet is drained by a small stream running north to the nearby Camel which turns northwest and reaches the Irish Sea through the port of Wadebridge. Lanivet is sited 70 and 110 metres above the sea, properties rise up the valley sides with newer developments to the east being highest, land continues to rise both east and west reaching 167 metres on nearby West Downs. Cornish parishes are often fairly extensive and Lanivet was one of those, covering 5,000 acres it would have supported a population of almost 1,150 parishioners. Lanivet is not specifically mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

The parish church, believed to be dedicated to St Nivet although the church's signage gives no dedication, lies at the heart of the village accessed eastwards from the A389 by Church Road. Although a church is recorded here as early as 1268 there is no trace of that early church nowadays, the present building being a creation of the 15th and 16th centuries. This period saw the flourishing of the Perpendicular style of architecture which is displayed throughout the church. The principal feature of the church is undoubtedly that very tall and slender western tower built of granite ashlar and rising three stages with a battlemented topping. Its very size seems disproportionate to the long and low nave & chancel to my eye. Today's church was probably begun in the early 15th century but the eastern end saw a significant rebuild towards the end of the same century. The church received the almost customary Victorian restoration, in this case in the 1860s but this largely affected the interior and roofing leaving the exterior mostly undisturbed. Church Road rises gently from the A389 arriving at a large triangular green where parking may be found. The churchyard sits elevated above road level and banked by a low local stone wall, a flight of steps leads up to it from the green. The churchyard is compact and bordered with trees making for something of a challenge to the photographer especially given the height of that western tower.