Altarnun
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Altarnun ( ; kw, Alternonn) is a village and
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, England, United Kingdom. It is located west of Launceston on the north-eastern edge of
Bodmin Moor Bodmin Moor ( kw, Goon Brenn) is a granite moorland in north-eastern Cornwall, England. It is in size, and dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. It includes Brown Willy, the highest point in Cornwall, and Rough Tor, a s ...
at . The parish of Altarnun includes the village of Fivelanes and the hamlets of
Bolventor Bolventor ( kw, Bedhasbold) is a hamlet on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in Altarnun civil parish between Launceston and Bodmin. Toponymy The hamlet has been said to take its name from the "Bold Venture" tha ...
,
Treween Treween is a hamlet in the parish of Altarnun, Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. ...
and
Trewint Trewint is a hamlet in the civil parish of Altarnun, east Cornwall, England, UK. Trewint is on the A30 main road west of the village of Altarnun. Trewint Downs, part of Bodmin Moor, are further west. The manor of Trewint was recorded in the ...
, and had a population of 976 according to the 2001 census. This increased to 1,084 according to the 2011 census. Other hamlets in the parish are
Bowithick Bowithick is a hamlet on the northern edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 201 ''Plymouth & Launceston'' Bowithick is situated near the disused Davidstow Moor airfield. The nearest vil ...
, Palmersbridge, South Carne, Tolborough, Lower Tregunnon and
Tredaule Tredaule is a hamlet in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is one mile east of Altarnun Altarnun ( ; kw, Alternonn) is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is located west of Launceston on the north-eastern ...
. The area of the parish is , the largest in Cornwall. By the time of the 2011 census the figures for the ward of Altarnun were provided. This ward contained 48 locations in the area and gave a population of 4,038. The moorland area of the parish is large and lies west of the village towards
Rough Tor Rough Tor (), or Roughtor, is a tor on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The site is composed of the tor summit and logan stone, a neolithic tor enclosure, a large number of Bronze Age hut circles, and some contemporary monuments. Topon ...
and southwards towards
Dozmary Pool Dozmary Pool is a small lake, in the civil parish of Altarnun on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, UK. It is situated from the sea and lies about north-east of Bodmin and south of Bolventor. It originated in the post-glacial period. The outflow fro ...
. There is a large conifer plantation at Wilsey Down Forest (Halvana Plantation). The village is in the valley of the Penpont Water and the parish is divided by the A30 trunk road which passes through Fivelanes which was once an important stopping place for
stage coaches A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...
.


Church history

A Norman church was built in Altarnun in the 12th century, but the present church was built in the 15th century from unquarried stone ( moorstone) from
Bodmin Moor Bodmin Moor ( kw, Goon Brenn) is a granite moorland in north-eastern Cornwall, England. It is in size, and dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. It includes Brown Willy, the highest point in Cornwall, and Rough Tor, a s ...
. The church is dedicated to St Nonna, mother of
St David Saint David ( cy, Dewi Sant; la, Davidus; ) was a Welsh bishop of Mynyw (now St Davids) during the 6th century. He is the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and tradition has preserved a relatively large amount of detail abo ...
. A Celtic cross from the time of St Nonna is located by the church gate. This cross consists of a cross head resting on a stone base. Another cross is located at Two-gates by the road about half a mile (0.8 km) north of the church; it is locally known as "Short Cross" and is probably a fragment of what was once a taller stone. Other crosses are known as Sanctuary Cross, Halvana Cross, Occasiney Cross, Trekennick Cross, Tresmeak Cross and St Vincent's Mine Cross. As the largest parish church on
Bodmin Moor Bodmin Moor ( kw, Goon Brenn) is a granite moorland in north-eastern Cornwall, England. It is in size, and dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. It includes Brown Willy, the highest point in Cornwall, and Rough Tor, a s ...
, the Church of St Nonna is known as the ''Cathedral of the Moor''. It was built largely in the 15th century in the Perpendicular style, with its bell tower standing high. It is notable for a fine Norman font and old woodwork, including the screen, bench-ends and communion rails which date to 1684. The screen is one of the finest 15th-century examples in Cornwall; it has three gates and the cornice of vines and tracery and vaulting are finely carved.
John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...
often visited
Trewint Trewint is a hamlet in the civil parish of Altarnun, east Cornwall, England, UK. Trewint is on the A30 main road west of the village of Altarnun. Trewint Downs, part of Bodmin Moor, are further west. The manor of Trewint was recorded in the ...
, lodging in Digory Isbell's home which is now a museum of Wesley and Methodism. (The former
Altarnun Wesleyan chapel Altarnun Wesleyan chapel is the former Methodist chapel in Altarnun in Cornwall. Completed in 1859, the chapel has been a Grade II listed building since 1988 and is now privately owned. The chapel is built of snecked (the keying together of pa ...
has the head of Wesley carved over the doorway by
Neville Northey Burnard Nevil or Neville Northey Burnard (11 October 1818 – 27 November 1878) was a 19th century English sculptor best known for his portrait figures. Life Burnard was born in the village of Altarnun, on the edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. He was t ...
. This was done when Burnard was aged sixteen years and lived next door.)


Language and culture

Altarnun features in the novel ''
Jamaica Inn The Jamaica Inn is a traditional inn on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall in the UK, which was built as a coaching inn in 1750, and has a historical association with smuggling. Located just off the A30, near the middle of the moor close to the hamle ...
'' by
Daphne du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her grandfather was Geor ...
set in the parish's former coaching house by the same name. The village was also the birthplace of sculptor
Neville Northey Burnard Nevil or Neville Northey Burnard (11 October 1818 – 27 November 1878) was a 19th century English sculptor best known for his portrait figures. Life Burnard was born in the village of Altarnun, on the edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. He was t ...
(1818–1878). It was surveyed for the
Survey of English Dialects The Survey of English Dialects was undertaken between 1950 and 1961 under the direction of Professor Harold Orton of the English department of the University of Leeds. It aimed to collect the full range of speech in England and Wales before loca ...
.


Notable people

British bryologist
Frances Elizabeth Tripp Frances Elizabeth Tripp (1 August 1832 – 26 December 1890) was a British bryologist, botanical illustrator, philanthropist and writer. She is best known for her two volume work ''British Mosses, their homes, aspects, structures and uses' ...
grew up in Altarnun, since her father was vicar.


See also

*
Cornish bagpipes Cornish bagpipes ( kw, Pibow sagh kernewek) are the forms of bagpipes once common in Cornwall in the 19th century. Bagpipes and pipes are mentioned in Cornish documentary sources from c.1150 to 1830 and bagpipes are present in Cornish iconograph ...
* Gueltas, a Breton commune twinned with Altarnun


References


Further reading

*Shaw, Thomas (1960) ''Trewint in its Historical Setting''


External links


Altarnun PipesGenuki: Altarnun
{{authority control Civil parishes in Cornwall Villages in Cornwall Bodmin Moor