Ruan Minor
15th Century                                        St Rumon                                 Grade II Listed 

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The Church at Ruan Minor is the smallest in the area; it is tiny, with a squat single stage tower rising 25 feet above the picturesque cottages of the village.  (Keep following signs to Ruan Minor - don’t chase the more visible St Grade).  Unusually in Cornwall there is a Virginia creeper festooning the 15th century masonry of the tower, and this is particularly attractive in the Autumn.  The earliest recorded mention of the church is in 1277.  The dedication is to the early 6th Century Saint, Rumon

 
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The Lectern is a striking example of the use of polished serpentine.

                  

    

                St Rumon Church from the North

The simple south doorway dates from the late 14th Century; it is made of granite, the other stone use din the church being local serpentine.  Next to the porch, on the left is a 15th Century window of coarse granite; to the north of the doorway is a late mediaeval window with 3 trefoiled lights - probably as old as the tower.

 

The interior was heavily restored in 1854.  Everything inside is very low, very squat and somewhat plain.  There is a chancel and a nave with four bays; the north aisle and the western tower were added in the 15th or early 16th century.

The font  is a good example of late Norman workmanship, probably 11th Century, the sunken chevrons around the top of the bowl making a zig zag ornament.  The base is modern.

 

Notice the Commandment Boards on the west wall.

The wagon roof of the nave is a relatively modern copy of the original - so there are no bosses or elaborate carvings.

The 4 pillars or piers separating the north aisle from the nave are of very coarse granite, low and massive and utilitarian dated from the 15th Century.

When the North aisle was added the old north wall of the nave would have been removed, and with it the windows.  These were replaced in the 15th Century North Wall.  The older one is now hidden by the organ, but the 2 light geometrical window dates from the 14th century.  The sill is of serpentine, the window is granite.  St Rumon is portrayed with St Ruan’s well in the background - the other figure is St Piran.

 

The present chancel is an enlargement made in 1879.  The East Window was erected in memory of a 16 year old boy who died in a cliff fall locally.  In the corner of the south wall is a Norman Piscina with a moulding of stars and saltire cross, placed in a 14th century niche.

In the south wall of the nave are 2 single light windows of the 13th Century with early 14th century trefoil heads.  The original East Window  from the chancel is now at the west end of the aisle.  When it was moved in 1879, the centre stone was placed inside out!