Management Plan for St Piran’s Oratory, the Church of St Piran and Perran Round, Perranzabuloe

The St Piran Trust is a Charitable Trust whose primary objectives are to protect and enhance archaeological sites associated with the name of St Piran in the Perranzabuloe area, and to raise awareness of the historical and cultural significance of the sites associated with St Piran, who is widely recognised as the national saint of Cornwall. The main focus of the St Piran Trust is on the three scheduled archaeological sites of St Piran’s Oratory, St Piran’s Church and Perran Round. The Oratory and Church lie within Gear Sands, about 2 km from Perranporth, while the Round lies to the south of the hamlet of Rose.

St Piran’s Oratory (Scheduled Monument Cornwall 29670) (SW 7685 5639) is an early Christian chapel surrounded by a cemetery which acquired fame in the 19^th century as the oldest surviving four walled Christian building on the British mainland. It was reburied in 1980 as a result of official fears of repeated vandalism and flooding and lack of resources to protect it, but since that time greater awareness of the significance of the Oratory has resulted in a strong move to uncover it. The land on which the Oratory is located is owned by Perranzabuloe Parish Council, while the cemetery extends into the land owned by Bourne Leisure which circles the site. The St Piran Trust is presently investigating the feasibility excavating the Oratory.

The Church of St Piran (Scheduled Monument Cornwall 15009) (SW 7685 2405) is the former Parish Church for Perranzabuloe. The Church lies within an enclosure which includes a cemetery and a cross. The oldest above-ground remains of the Church probably date back to the late 12^th century although the cross is of an earlier date while the large oval cemetery may have prehistoric origins. The Church was dismantled in 1804-1805, when much of its fabric was reused in the construction of the new Church which was built 2.5km inland: the remains of the Old Church were abandoned to the sands.

Sand from within the interior of the Church was removed by the Historic Environment Service of Cornwall County Council in partnership with the St Piran Trust in September-October 2005 and further works were undertaken to improve the amenity of the site. The Church and the southern three-quarters of the churchyard is owned by Perranzabuloe Parish Council, while the northern quarter of the churchyard lies within land owned by Defence Estates. The land to the south of the Church is owned by Bourne Leisure and includes the remains of the medieval Churchtown which would have existed close to the Church.

Statement of significance

All three sites are of enormous significance to Perranzabuloe, Cornwall and the wider world. St Piran’s Oratory is especially important to Cornish identity, associated as it is with Cornwall’s national saint, while the Church of St Piran served the Parish of Perranzabuloe for at least 800 years. Perran Round is the best surviving example of a plen an gwary, a monument class only encountered in Cornwall , where Cornish language miracle plays were performed throughout the Middle Ages.

These sites are therefore of great significance to the cultural history of Cornwall and the heritage of local people.  The sites are visited by thousands of people each year, particularly on St Piran’s Day when people congregate to celebrate the saint and Cornwall’s distinctive culture.

The beneficial management of the three sites by the St Piran Trust will help the wider community to gain an increased understanding of the sites and their wider context, as well as providing a significant community asset.

Objectives of the plan

This management plan sets out a series of actions for the three sites that will be carried out by members of the Trust and designated people.

The primary objective of the plan is to achieve a long-term and beneficial management regime for these important archaeological sites, sustaining and where possible enhancing their historic character.

The St Piran Trust will:

·         Protect and conserve the standing remains and buried archaeology at St Piran’s Oratory, St Piran’s Church and Perran Round, in collaboration with land owners and statutory bodies.

·         Increase knowledge and understanding of the sites and encourage an increased appreciation of them as historic monuments and the wider archaeological heritage of Perranzabuloe and Cornwall.

·         Endeavour to maximise the benefits to local people and visitors of the three sites as important community assets, for quiet enjoyment and recreation, but also as a resource for lifelong learning.

·         In collaboration with the land owners and statutory bodies manage the sites in a way that is compatible with their ecological status, particularly in relation to the internationally important SAC.

Components requiring management – St Piran’s Oratory

St Piran’s Oratory was excavated in 1835 and a further excavation was undertaken in 1843. Photographs from the late 19^th century show that it had been enclos ed with railings for protection. Unfortunately, the pressure of sand on the external walls caus ed them to move, and in 1905 an appeal was launched to raise money to protect the Oratory.  In 1910 a concrete 'preserving structure' was construct ed over the site. In 1980, following concerns over flooding and vandalism, the decision was taken to rebury the Oratory.

Archaeological remains have in the past been found close to the surface around the site. The exposure of bones in the cemetery associated with the Oratory has been documented many times. Rows of skeletons were reported in 1820, 1835 and 1905, and in 1910 the skeleton of a woman with a child in her arms was unearthed near the Oratory doorway. When the remains of the chapel were being buried in sand by a mechanical digger in 1980, twelve cist graves, some with slate tops, were expos ed about 10 - 13m from the Oratory.

Because the remains of the monument are below the surface and no human remains have been unearthed in recent years, there are at present no significant management issues relating to this site.

An interpretation board has been erected next to the Oratory and this will be monitored for vandalism and erosion around it.

Excavation of St Piran’s Oratory

The primary objective of the St Piran Trust is to excavate the remains of St Piran’s Oratory and to present them to the general public as a monument within the context of the wider landscape.

In response to concerns about whether works to excavate the Oratory might have an adverse impact on a colony of Shore Dock, a protected species living in a duneslack to the south of the site, the St. Piran Trust commissioned an assessment of the groundwater levels around the site. The conclusion of the monitoring, carried out from 2004 onwards, clearly demonstrates that the Shore Dock is located within a bowled area or ‘perched aquifer’, probably created through mining activity in this area. It is not in direct hydraulic connection with the main aquifer around the Oratory and therefore works carried out in the area will not affect the viability of the Shore Dock.

The Trust intends to excavate the site of the Oratory within the period of this management plan, and is committed to the following timetable:

The excavation of the site will only take place once the project design has been produced to the satisfaction of statutory bodies, including English Heritage and Natural England, and the necessary Scheduled Monument Consent and assent for work within a SAC/SSSI have been granted and the necessary funding secured. The excavation will be a community project with the work supervised by a team of professional archaeologists, assisted by volunteers from throughout Cornwall.

It is planned that there will be a series of educational and cultural events to commemorate the uncovering of the Oratory. These will include plays, musical performances, the involvement of local schools and a series of academic lectures, which will commence at the latest on St. Piran’s Day in March 2010 and run throughout the following months.

Once the excavation has been carried out and the dune restored, this management plan will be revised to deal with the new situation.

Components requiring management – the Church of St Piran

St Piran’s Church was excavated by T. F. G. Dexter between 1917 and 1920. The periphery of the church was dug out to define the shape and size of the structure and the chancel was cleared of sand. No conservation work was carried out on the upstanding remains following the excavation and, because of this, there was considerable further decay of the walling in the following 85 years. In 2005, it was noted that the condition of the monument was poor, the management regime limited and that there was a pressing need to improve the interpretation and amenity value of the monument.

Sand from within the interior of the Church was removed by the Historic Environment Service of Cornwall County Council in partnership with the St Piran Trust in September-October 2005 and further works were undertaken to improve the amenity of the site. Over 250 tonnes of material were removed from within the Church and the base of the tower and a considerable length of the north wall were uncovered for the first time in nearly 200 years. Conservation works on the exposed remains were carried out, exposed plaster on the internal face of the north wall was covered with a modern lime mortar render for protection, and areas of potential collapse were consolidated. A set of steps was constructed in order to improve access to the structure.

1.  Regular inspections of fabric of church

In order to protect the remains of the Church of St Piran, a regime of inspections will be carried out by members of the St Piran Trust and designated people on a monthly basis. At least two members of the Trust will carry out inspections and record any areas of damage or concern on a standard form which is attached as Appendix 2. These forms will be kept in a binder for future reference. In particular, the current and cumulative impact of visitors to the site and occurrences such as vandalism will be carefully monitored. Any damage likely to require repair will be reported to the English Heritage Field Monument Warden and Scheduled Monument Consent for repairs will be sought where necessary. The repair works will then be carried out by the Trust guided by the advice of the Monument Warden.

2.  St Piran’s Day commemorations

Visitor numbers to St Piran’s Church are generally limited. However, on the Sunday closest to St Piran’s Day, a procession of several thousand people visits the site at one time, where the final act of a play re-enacting the life of the saint is performed. Given the restricted access to the centre of the Church building, this is likely to be the time when most damage may occur. The Trust will liaise with the organisers of the march and play in order to safeguard the site and also carry out an extra inspection of the fabric of the Church and surrounding area in advance of the celebrations and within 48 hours of its end.

3.  Limewash on north wall

The excavation of September - October 2005 revealed the north wall of the nave, which was covered with a considerable amount of historic plaster. A modern lime render was placed over those archaeological remains to protect them. In order to maintain the integrity of the modern layer, the St Piran Trust will apply a coating of limewash at least once a year, ideally in late Spring / early Summer and, if possible, in still, overcast and slightly misty conditions The material to be used will be Hydraulic HNL2 lime paint, available from the Cornish Lime Company at Bodmin.

For full details on the application of the lime paint, see:

https://www.cornishlime.co.uk/html/content.php?type=information&id=6

This guidance is included in Appendix 3.

4.  Grass cutting

It is important that the remains of the Church of St Piran are presented professionally to the general public who visit it. This means that the grass on the interior of the church will be cut at least 4 times per year depending on the level of growth. The banks by the steps (entranceway into the church) and an area about 2m wide on the east, south and west sides of the Church will also be cut. The bank to the north of the Church has a covering of bramble, as does the area around the tower. These areas will also be cut regularly until the brambled areas are no longer a problem.

5.  Removal of intrusion vegetation from stonework

Vegetation growing into the upstanding fabric of the church may damage to structure. Such vegetation will be carefully controlled through cutting, where this is felt appropriate, in order to protect the fabric of the Church. The vegetation will not be pulled out as this could damage the archaeological remains. Such works will be carried out as a result of the monthly condition checks and full records kept.

6.  Access into the Church

Steps have been provided to allow people to gain access to the centre of the Church. In spite of this, people still enter the structure at different points, which often includes climbing or jumping down from walls, and this may damage the remains of the monument. The St Piran Trust will monitor movement around the site, as evidenced by ‘permissive’ paths and eroded area. It may be necessary to erect temporary signs requesting visitors not to use certain areas, though this will be kept to a minimum.

Such interventions will be recorded and further monitored during the monthly condition checks and full records kept.

7.  Interpretation board

An interpretation board has been erected next to the Church and this will be regularly monitored for vandalism and erosion around it.