England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Launcells St Swithin & St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Launcells lies in the extreme north of Cornwall forming a lengthy stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Devon. Launcells is located about 1 1/2 miles east of the small town of Stratton and sits about a quarter of a mile north of the A3072 road which links Stratton with the town of Holsworthy in Devon. Launcells is a distributed parish there being no distinct village or even a hamlet on modern day Ordnance Survey maps named as Launcells. The church stands together with Launcells Barton an 18th century house of the local Chamond family. There are settlements within the wider parish, Red Post on the A3072, Grimscott & Hersham to the north along the B3254 but otherwise folk were spread out in farms and cottages across the area. The main economic activity would have been farming, the western location and proximity to the Atlantic making pastoral methods dominant. Swift fast-flowing brooks drain the parish westward all meeting the River Neet which turns water southwards, at the western end of Marhamchurch the Neet performs an about face and heads back northwestwards to reach the Atlantic at Bude. Launcells is sited at 70 metres above the sea at its parish church but the landscape is deeply incised with the bisected plateau sitting at around 130 metres and touching 158 metres at Hersham. Launcells was an extensive parish covering almost 6,200 acres and supporting close to 850 parishioners. Whilst Launcells is recorded in Domesday Book as a holding of Count Robert of Mortain it was a tiny place, just 3 ploughs backed by pastures and woodland its only assets.

The Church

St Swithin & St Andrews' church sits tucked away from all main roads in a wooded valley bottom that it shares with Launcells Barton. It sits less than a quarter mile from the A3072 down incredibly narrow lanes, visitors in cars ever fearful of meeting another coming the other way! The church is a product of the later medieval period of the Perpendicular with most of its fabric dating from the late 14th century into later periods. The earliest fabric is that of the southern doorway which is the only 14th century representative. It is likely the 5-bay nave and chancel together with the aisles were all built in a single 15th century campaign using both the local granite and a local soap-stone from nearby Polyphant. The build probably extended into the early 16th century when the porch was likely completed. The western tower, an unbuttressed and rather tall structure capped by boldly sculpted corner pinnacles, is also 16th century and marks the end of the initial construction. There was some restoration of the eastern end in the 17th century which is confirmed by a dated stone but little interference by the normal Victorian restorers. The church's main claim to fame is, however, its internal fittings where there are over 60 detailed carved benches with elaborated bench-ends showing representations of the Passion and other New Testament scenes whilst the chancel has a display of encaustic tiles from the 17th century. Where the narrow lanes leave the A3072 there is a prominent blue sign and further smaller white signs point the way to the valley bottom. Once safely parked the churchyard presents no obstacles other than through undulations for the photographer.