St Petroc's Parish Church

St Petroc’s Parish Church stands in the centre of Bodmin, a town in Cornwall. The present building dates from 1469–1472 and was once the largest church in Cornwall. Its Norman tower on the north side still rises from the 11th century, though its spire fell in 1699. The church became Anglican after the Reformation and now holds the Regimental Chapel of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, dedicated in 1933. Two Victorian restorations and a 1930 repair have kept the structure intact, and it is recognised as a Grade I listed building. A small chapel at Nanstallon belongs to the same parish. The church’s history reaches back to the 6th century when Saint Petroc founded a monastery here. Legends link the site to King Athelstan and to Danish raids in 981. The priory later housed Augustinian canons until Henry VIII suppressed it. The ivory casket that once held Petroc’s relics survives, and fragments of the priory’s stonework are kept at Priory House. John Wallis, vicar from 1817 to 1866, wrote topographical works that record the town’s past. The 1884 restoration cost more than £3,000 and returned the east end to its earlier form. Inside, visitors find the black Delabole slate memorial to Richard Durant and his family. The twelfth-century ivory casket is thought to have held relics of Saint Petroc. Prior Vyvyan’s tomb shows his effigy in black Catacleuse stone and grey marble. The nave and aisles are paved with tiles, and encaustic tiles mark the sanctuary. A new cedar altar and choir stalls were gifts from parishioners. The church’s roof, windows and heating were all renewed in the 19th century, leaving a clear record of its long life.