St Just-In-Roseland parish church

We took the ferry ⛴️ back to St Mawes and then caught the 2.30pm bus 🚌. We broke our journey at St. Just in Roseland church ⛪️ as we had been advised that it's a must-see sight in Cornwall.

It's a steep walk down a hill from the main road to visit the church (and an even steeper one back!), but it was well worth it to see this peaceful and magical place! The tide was out during our visit, so we didn't see the water lapping up to the church's grounds or the church reflected in it. Nevertheless, it was still beautiful! I bought a postcard to show me what it looks like at high tide 😀.

There has been some sort of church on the site of St. Just in Roseland since as far back as 550 AD. The present church was consecrated on 14th August 1261 by Bishop Bronescombe. About half the church you see today dates from then. The tower was added in the early 15th century. During the 1800s, the church underwent an extensive restoration. Unfortunately, much of the original and 15th century material, including the ancient pews, was discarded at this time.

Today, St Just church ⛪️ remains a focal point for the local community, as well as being an attraction for tourists. It is a popular wedding venue. If the tide is right, the bride and groom can arrive and leave by boat.

The church grounds are as beautiful and as well-maintained as the church itself. Not only is it an extensive graveyard, it is also a pretty garden with striking and unique plants.

In his book, 'In Search of England', written in the 1920s, H V Morton describes his visit to St Just in Roseland:

'I have blundered into a Garden of Eden that cannot be described in pen or paint. There is a degree of beauty that flies so high that no net of words or no snare of colour can hope to capture it. There are a few cottages lost in the trees 🌳, a vicarage with two old cannon balls propping open the garden gate, and a church in a churchyard which is one of the little-known glories of Cornwall. I would like to know if there is in the whole of England, a churchyard more beautiful than this.'Read more