Tresmeer can be viewed from two distinct perspectives: the monuments around the Church of St Nicholas offer a tangible history of buildings and remembrance; the Three Saints Way provides a different focus, with its valley route and wildlife watching. This distinction is useful when planning your trip and deciding whether to focus your stay more on cultural history, walking or a combination of both.

Church, Crosses and Remembrance

A medieval wayside cross in the form of a Latin cross stands in Tresmeer churchyard. Its history includes several relocations within the parish of Laneast; the monument was re-erected there in the 19th century. Two different periods therefore meet here: the medieval classification of the cross and its later re-erection. The Church of St Nicholas also has a Norman font—an individual feature of the church alongside the monuments in the churchyard.

Another cross stands east of the Church of St Nicholas. It is made of greenstone and measures about 2 feet high and 1 foot 9 inches wide. It bears a raised Latin cross in shallow relief on both sides. This distinguishes it in the description from the medieval wayside cross in the churchyard: here, the focus is on the material, dimensions and relief design on both sides, while the churchyard cross is described in terms of its shape and history of relocation.

Near the church, the gravestone of John Kittow commemorates John Kittow and his son William, both of whom died in 1779. Its design is also described precisely: the gravestone is made of slate, with a segmental-arched top and curved shoulders. The names and year of death give the memorial a specific historical context; the material and form add architectural details.

Historic Buildings and Different Periods

The Pottery is a Grade II listed building. Tresmeer Farmhouse and Garden Walls to Front probably date from the mid-19th century. The rear of the farmhouse faces the churchyard of the Church of St Nicholas; the property is part of a largely unaltered group of buildings. The history of individual monuments is therefore complemented by the spatial relationship between the group of buildings and the churchyard.

A separate local reference leads to Treburtle: Treburtle Farmhouse stands on the west side of the settlement of Treburtle. It probably dates from the 17th century and was extended in the 18th and 19th centuries. The probable dates should be kept distinct: Tresmeer Farmhouse and Garden Walls are said to date from the mid-19th century, while Treburtle Farmhouse has an earlier origin with later extensions. This makes it possible to understand the two buildings in terms of their different building histories, rather than combining the dates into a single history.

The Three Saints Way on the River Kensey

The Three Saints Way is a circular walking route through the tributary valleys of the River Ottery and the River Kensey. In Tresmeer, its route follows the valley of the River Kensey downstream to the Church of St Nicholas; the River Kensey flows past Tresmeer. The broad description of the circular route and its specific course to the church therefore provide two different points of reference: the river valleys along the route and its connection to the village.

The Three Saints Way offers a wide range of opportunities for wildlife watching, including birds and butterflies. This adds a nature theme to the focus on cultural history, without requiring you to treat the two interests as the same part of your trip. If you like to include both landscapes and monuments in your travel plans, you can consider the route and the historical details around the church as separate but equally tangible points of interest.

Getting Your Bearings

One important distinction is that Tresmeer railway station is not in the village of Tresmeer but in the neighbouring village of Splatt. For geographical orientation, it is therefore helpful not to assume that the station is located in the village of Tresmeer just because of its name.

Discover more destinations: Saltash, Egloskerry, Cawsand, Sancreed, Porthcurno, Antony, Lezant, Pendeen.

For the broader travel overview: Cornwall.