St Olaf's Parish Church and Poughill (Cornwall) - History of the Church around Bude

Next Sunday 13 October Rev Teresa Folland will be leading our Family Holy Communion service at 10.00. We look forward to seeing you there!
Hollabury Fellowship will be in the church during the Old School renovations.

See Revd Teresa's Cornish Corner Facebook page here!

Thank you for visiting our website. St Olaf's Parish Church near Bude, in the centre of Poughill, EX23 9ER. There is some roadside parking outside the church, and down Northcott Mouth Road (below the church on Bude's side) a couple of hundred yards on the right is a free car park.

Sunday morning services on are at 10.00 and we have Sunday Club for children in our Church Hall across the road from the church. We are always pleased to welcome visitors, both adults and children, and parents are very welcome to stay with any little ones who might find it hard to settle.

We love meeting new people, so please stay on after the service to chat over coffee. Anyone new to the area will discover we are a friendly group of people.

We are a church that is following Jesus, working to make Him known to others through our life and work. It's what the church was made for, and we try to share the gospel (the good news about Jesus) through everything we say and do. It's why we meet together, pray together, worship together and serve together - we are always trying to share the story of Jesus with others, those who live in our community and those who visit us. We're not perfect, but we are enjoying the journey together. We look forward to meeting you.

SAFEGUARDING

Our parish Church in Poughill is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults from harm. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO). Our Diocese of Truro’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor who advises our PSO. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the PSO Dr Grace Chia 07816 674986, or Sarah Acraman, Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, 01872 274351, out of hours or after 5pm and weekends: 01208 251300. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact Local Authority Children’s Social Care: 0300 123 1116 or Local Authority Adult’s Social Care: 0300 1234131.

We have fully accepted and endorsed the National Safeguarding Standards, which can be found here.

St Olaf's Church is a Grade I listed church in Poughill, Bude, Cornwall.

The font dates to the 13th century. The south aisle dates to the 14th and 15th centuries. The porch and west tower are dated to the 15th century. The studded door is dated to the 16th century.

The church seats is dedicated to the Norwegian King and so-called Martyr, St Olaf (Olaf II of Norway). At the restoration in 1928 the foundations of the original Norman church were uncovered but nothing of this remains above ground. The pillars on the north side and south arch of the nave are of Caen stone (14th century); those of the south side are granite (15th century). The piscina and aumbry in the south chancel are 13th century.

Inside the church is a wall of frescoes. The frescoes date from about 1470, and depict St Christopher: they were discovered in 1894 beneath the whitewash. Such paintings were once common in churches; the Poughill accounts record the washing-out of the figures in 1550 at the time of the Reformation. According to the legend, St Christopher was a heathen giant who, on turning Christian, was instructed by a holy hermit to carry travellers over a dangerous ford, and who, one stormy night carried the child Jesus on his shoulder.

During the latter half of his life, Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, the surgeon, gentleman scientist, inventor, and pioneer of applying steam power, lived in Reeds, a small house on the outskirts of the village, until his death in 1875. The assassinated colonial administrator, Sir Henry Lovell Goldsworthy Gurney was born here in 1898

Poughill is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Pochelle. Notable old houses in Poughill include Burshill Manor (medieval), an open hall house, and Church House, dated 1525.

The village's water-mill is located on the footpath towards Bush. Lying at the foot of Trevalgus Hill in thick woodland, it is believed to have been a manorial mill for Trevalgus Manor. The mill was powered by the stream which runs south towards Stratton called the Stratt. Part of the mill building was constructed of timbers from ships wrecked along the coastline.

History of the Church

Weekly Pewsheet