Lanteglos-by-Camelford

Lanteglos-by-Camelford is a rural parish in north Cornwall, with the church of St Julitta set in a wooded valley below the former manor of Helstone. The name derives from the Cornish Nant Eglos, meaning church in the valley. The area is agricultural, with a landscape of farmland and hedgerows, and the parish has a quiet, traditional character. The church is the focus of the parish and retains a sense of its medieval origins, despite heavy Victorian restoration.

History: St Julitta's Church is dedicated to an early Christian martyr and dates from the 12th century, with Norman work surviving in the north wall and north transept. The dedication may be due to the fact that Robert of Mortain, half-brother to William the Conqueror, held the manor of Helstone, which included two royal deer parks extending up to the church. The main part of the church is 15th century, when the south aisle, porch, and unbuttressed tower were added. The church underwent serious restoration between 1864 and 1873 under the supervision of the Victorian architect James Piers St. Aubyn, which unfortunately removed much of the earlier character. The wagon roof timbers survived, but there is no other old woodwork. The 15th-century font has intriguing swirling carved emblems known as gammadions. The church is Grade I listed and contains rare medieval stained glass. The churchyard houses a National Scheduled Monument consisting of wayside crosses and an 11th-century Saxon pillar. In 1311, a small chapel was built by the river in Camelford dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury, but the mother church has remained at Lanteglos. Today, the parish operates within a United Benefice with Advent.