Church of St Cuby

The Church of St Cuby stands on the edge of Tregony in Cornwall, a quiet parish church built in the 12th century. It began as a small chapel serving the larger church of St James, but when the River Fal changed course in the 16th century and swept St James away, St Cuby became the main church for the area. The building shows layers of history, with parts from the 12th, 14th and 15th centuries still visible today. The tower and north wall date from the 14th century, while the nave and south wall carry traces of 15th-century work. After a 17th-century rebuild and an 1828 lengthening, the church was restored again in 1899, preserving its medieval masonry. The church is important for its links to early Welsh saints and to Cornwall’s maritime past. It was dedicated to St Cuby, a 6th-century Welsh holy man, long before the present building rose. In the south aisle lies a 6th- or 7th-century inscribed stone mentioning Nonnita Ercilini Rigati, one of the earliest Christian relics in the region. The churchyard holds two Grade II listed memorials: a mid-19th-century chest tomb by Julef of Ladock and a granite coffin on a plinth, both simple reminders of local burial traditions. Among those buried inside is William Hennah, first lieutenant of HMS Mars, who fought at Trafalgar under Nelson. Visitors find a calm churchyard bordered by mature trees, with the 14th-century tower rising above the graves. Inside, the nave’s 15th-century south wall and the 12th-century masonry on the north side frame the space. The south aisle contains the ancient inscribed stone, its weathered letters hinting at early Christian worship. The tower, of two stages, still carries its medieval character despite later restorations. The combined benefice with Cornelly means the church remains an active place of worship, its doors open to those who walk the quiet lanes to Tregony.