A holy well chapel, a church with Norman origins and medieval crosses give a visit to Saint Clether a cultural and historical focus. The connection between water and architecture is particularly vivid at St Clether Holy Well Chapel: water flows through a stone channel behind the altar and collects in a basin in the chapel wall.

Holy Well Chapel and Holy Well

St Clether Holy Well Chapel is one of the largest holy well chapels in Cornwall. Its building is thought to date from the 15th century, though its origins are older. St Clether's Holy Well is Grade II* listed. The dates refer to different aspects: the building is attributed to the 15th century, while its origins go further back. The water system can also be described in specific terms: the stone channel runs behind the altar and leads to the basin in the chapel wall. The channel, altar and basin make the connection between the flow of water and the chapel's architecture visible.

The Well Chapel is approximately a ten-minute walk from both the village and the parish church of St Clether. This approximate walking time gives you a guide for planning a visit from either of the two starting points mentioned.

Church of St Clether

The Church of St Clether has Norman origins and a tower dating from the 15th century. The church was largely rebuilt in 1865, with the tower being the exception. Its building history therefore brings together several periods: its Norman origins, the medieval tower and the extensive rebuilding in the 19th century. The fact that the tower was excluded is an important part of the building's history.

The interior includes a Norman font and three Norman capitals in the south aisle. Capitals are the upper parts of columns; their location in the aisle is a specific detail of the church's architecture. Together with the font, they add individual features to the building's history rather than simply another date.

Medieval Wayside Crosses

A medieval wayside cross 120 metres north of Basill is wheel-headed. It has rare projections on its neck. It also retains its historic function as a guidepost to a ford on the River Inney. The associated route is no longer used today. The cross can therefore be understood as a sign of a former route connection, not as a description of a route in use today.

Another wayside cross stands 620 metres southwest of Basil Farm at a crossroads called Cross Gates. This cross is also well preserved and features a wheel-headed cross with rare projections on its neck. It belongs to a group of crosses around the Basil estate that marked historic routes. These route connections describe their former function, not the course of today's paths.

The medieval cross head 75 metres east of Newpark has a different recorded history: in 1885, it was moved from the foot of Roughtor to its present location. It is one of the largest known wheel-headed cross heads. For this object, both its remarkable size and its relocation to its present site are central aspects of its history.

The historical details in Saint Clether lead from the architectural history of individual churches and chapels to the former connections in the landscape. This allows you to tailor your visit to your own interest in religious architecture, medieval forms or historic route connections.

Discover more destinations: Saint Just in Roseland, Brighton, Callington, Morval, Trelash, Egloskerry, Landewednack, Marazion

For the overarching travel guide: Cornwall.