| Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist, Morwenstow | |
|---|---|
 Church from the southeast | |
  Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist, Morwenstow Location in Cornwall | |
| 50°54′33″N 4°33′16″W / 50.9093°N 4.5545°W | |
| OS grid reference | SS 199 153 |
| Location | Morwenstow, Cornwall |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Morwenna and St John the Baptist |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Morwenna, John the Baptist |
| Associated people | Rev. R. S. Hawker |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | J. P. St Aubyn (probable) Restoration |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Rubble with granite dressings Slate roofs |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Truro |
| Archdeaconry | Bodmin |
| Deanery | Stratton |
| Parish | Morwenstow |
| Clergy | |
| Curate(s) | Revd Richard Ward-Smith |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist |
| Designated | 29 September 1961 |
| Reference no. | 1141774 |
The Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist is the parish church of Morwenstow, north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, the most northerly parish in Cornwall. The church is dedicated to Morwenna, a local saint, and to John the Baptist, and is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.[1] It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Truro, the archdeaconry of Bodmin, and the deanery of Stratton. Its benefice is combined with that of St James, Kilkhampton to form the United Benefice of Kilkhampton with Morwenstow.[2][3]
From 1835 to 1874 the vicar of the parish was Rev. R. S. Hawker, poet and antiquary[1] who is credited with creating the modern form of the harvest festival church service to give thanks for a good harvest in 1842.
The church stands in a remote position near cliffs on the north coast of Cornwall. Amongst the tombs and gravestones in the churchyard is a replica of the figurehead from a ship which was wrecked nearby in 1842.[4] Since 2008 the original (conserved) wooden figurehead has been displayed inside the church.[5]
The Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist is the most northerly church (and parish) in Cornwall.
- ^ a b Historic England, "Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist, Morwenstow (1141774)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 9 July 2013
- ^ Morwenstow: St Morwenna and St John the Baptist, Morwenstow, Church of England, retrieved 9 July 2013
- ^ Morwenstow Church is paired with Kilkhampton Church in the Deanery of Stratton, Stratton Deanery, archived from the original on 21 September 2013, retrieved 9 July 2013
- ^ Sackett, Eliza, ed. (2006), British Churches, London: Bounty Books, p. 8, ISBN 0-7537-1442-6
- ^ "About us & the "Caledonia"". Morwenstow Church. Retrieved 10 April 2024.