St Mawgan-in-Pydar, St Mawgan, TR8 4EP

The church is beautifully situated in a wooded valley in the Vale of Lanherne, below Lanherne Convent. The name of its patron saint Maugan, thought to have been a bishop, is attached to St Mawgan-in-Meneage church in Cornwall, as well to churches in Wales and Brittany.
Records at Exeter refer to the Pydar church dedicated to St Mawgan in 1075. In 1231 the Arundell family gained the Manor of Lanherne through marriage. In the 13th and 14th centuries transepts were added to the chancel and nave, as well as a fine East window of Decorated Gothic design and a transeptal tower on the south side like Duloe, perhaps imitating towers at Exeter Cathedral. The tower was recased and completed in the 1430s when Arundells paid for the bells and the Lady Chapel and south aisle that replaced the south transept stylistically date from this time, too. Wills show that the chapel was well furnished by the Arundells with Katharine in 1479 bequeathing russet damask vestments, a mass book, two altar cloths with curtains of red sarcanet (a fine soft silk fabric) and money for a silver and gilt chalice. In 1516 a cope and vestments were left by Margaret Capell, an Arundell by birth, with her marital coat of arms on them.
The font is 12th century in style, but shields suggest a 15th century copy.

The bench ends are early to mid-16th century as are the interesting painted Rood Screen with Arundell and Carminow arms and the pulpit. A fragment of the canopy beam of the Lady chapel screen is fixed on the Chancel side. The carvings include men and animals in a thicket of vines, and three monkeys dancing with one playing a pipe, and are likely to refer to Reynard the Fox and Aesop’s fables, moralistic tales approved by the church and enjoyed by the Arundells.  A copy of the latter book is mentioned in Edward Arundell’s inventory of 1586 in his chamber at Lanherne. His brass is among the collection of Arundell brasses from the later 16th century. The bell tower houses eight bells, the oldest from the 15th century. The church was restored by William Butterfield in 1860-61.
Outside in the churchyard there is a hurling trough, near the lych-gate. There is an exceptional medieval lantern cross here well worth taking time to see and a roadside cross brought from Mawgan Cross during the construction of the nearby airfield.

There is also an unusual memorial in the shape of the stern of a boat. This is in remembrance of ten men who were washed ashore frozen to death in December 1846.