The Church of St Fimbarrus is an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

parish church in

Fowey Fowey ( ; , meaning ''beech trees'') is a port town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, ...

, Cornwall, England. Also known as Fowey Parish Church, it is in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

Diocese of Truro The Diocese of Truro (established 1876) is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury which covers Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and a small part of Devon. The bishop's seat is at Truro Cathedral. Geography and history The d ...

. The church is a

grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

and dates from the 14th century.

History

The church is dedicated to

Saint Finbarr Saint Finbar, Finbarr, Finnbar, or Finnbarr, in Irish Fionnbharra, very often abbreviated to Barra, (c. 550– 25 September 623) was Bishop of Cork and abbot of a monastery in what is now the city of Cork, Ireland. He is patron saint of ...

and is listed Grade I. It was built in the early 14th century and rededicated in 1336, replacing a previous Norman church. The church was damaged by the French in 1457, and repaired in 1460 by the

Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom which has been created four times in English history. The name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation came in 1088, and the title was held b ...

, when the clerestory and the north and south aisles were rebuilt. There is a nave and two aisles with a clerestory, and the aisles are unusually wide; the aisles and the clerestory may be additions of the 15th century. The tower, of the 16th century, is of four stages and has buttresses and bands of ornament. There is an exceptionally fine 15th-century carved wagon roof. The south porch has open arches to the west and east and an eight-ribbed vaulted roof. The font is Norman, of Catacleuze stone, and similar to those of Ladock, Feock and St Mewan. The hexagonal pulpit was made in 1601. The monuments include two brasses of the mid 15th century and those of John Rashleigh, 1582, and Alice Rashleigh, 1602. The most interesting are two later Rashleigh monuments: John Rashleigh, c. 1610, and another of 1683. The church was used as a town hall for a period up to 1684. In 1899,

Kenneth Grahame Kenneth Grahame ( ; 8 March 1859 – 6 July 1932) was a British writer. He is best remembered for the classic of children's literature ''The Wind in the Willows'' (1908). Born in Scotland, he spent most of his childhood with his grandmother in ...

, author of ''The Wind in the Willows'', married Elspeth Thompson at the church.

Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (; 21 November 186312 May 1944) was a British writer who published using the pseudonym Q. Although a prolific novelist, he is remembered mainly for the monumental publication '' The Oxford Book of English Verse 1 ...

(1863–1944) is buried in the churchyard.

Present day

Fowey Parish Church is an

evangelical Anglican Evangelical Anglicanism or Evangelical Episcopalianism is a tradition or church party within Anglicanism that shares affinity with broader evangelicalism. Evangelical Anglicans share with other evangelicals the attributes of "conversionism, a ...

church. It had passed a resolution to reject the leadership of women in church. In 2019, its vicar and half the congregation left to form an explicitly

conservative evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian go ...

church in the town outside of the Church of England but under the auspices of

GAFCON The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (branded as GAFCON or Gafcon) is a communion of conservative Anglicanism, Anglican churches, aligned with the Confessing Movement, that formed in 2008 in response to ongoing theological disputes in th ...

. In May 2023, the chair of the

Parochial Church Council A parochial church council (PCC) is the executive committee of a Church of England parish and consists of clergy and churchwardens of the parish, together with representatives of the laity. It has its origins in the vestry committee, which looke ...

(PCC) stepped down, along with two other members; they had supported the resolution against a female vicar. In July 2023, with a new PCC elected, the council voted unanimously to rescind the resolution and to open the job opening to both men and women. It had been one of 150 parishes in the Church of England that rejected the leadership of women in church (including as vicars or bishops). In March 2024, the church welcomed a woman, the Reverend Carol Edleston, as "Priest for Fowey".

Organ

A new organ was obtained in 1855 which included provision for German Pedals. This was replaced by a new organ installed in 1877 built by Grover and Grover of London. The pipe organ has been renovated and rebuilt on several occasions. In 1892 Hele and Co of Plymouth undertook some work on the 2 manual instrument which was followed by an enlargement in 1905 by Wadsworth to 3 manuals.Subsequent work has been undertaken by Hele & Co in 1948 and 1972, and Lance Foy in 2001 and 2006 which has created an instrument with 3 manuals and pedal with 33 speaking stops. A specification of the organ can be found on the

National Pipe Organ Register The British Institute of Organ Studies (BIOS) is a British organisation and registered charity which aims to promote study and appreciation of all aspects of the pipe organ. Further, it acts as a lobbying body to raise awareness of organ issue ...

Organists

*William Betty 1854 - 1866 (formerly organist at

Holy Trinity Church, St Austell Holy Trinity Church, St Austell is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in St Austell, Cornwall. History The church was originally dedicated to St Austol, a Breton saint associated with St Meven, but is now dedicated to the ...

) *George Henry Bate 1866 - 1891 *Stribley Lacey 1891 - 1895 *Charles Edward Juleff 1895 - 1897 (formerly organist at St Michael and All Angels’ Church, Exeter, and

St Petroc's Church, Bodmin St Petroc's Church, Bodmin, also known as Bodmin Parish Church is an Anglican parish church in the town of Bodmin, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The existing church building is dated 1469–1472 and was until the building of Truro Cathedral ...

, afterwards organist of

St John the Evangelist, Taunton The Church of St John the Evangelist, Taunton is a Church of England parish church in Taunton, Somerset. It is a grade I listed building. History The Reverend Frederick Jeremiah Smith decided to build a new church in Taunton for the poor of the ...

) *Thomas J. Baker 1898 - 1901 (formerly organist of

St Nicolas Church, Guildford St Nicolas' is an Anglican parish church in Guildford, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. Location and parish Location St Nicolas’ church (spelt ‘Nicholas’ until the early 20th century) is on the left bank of the River Wey, at th ...

) *William Benjamin Seller Hawkins 1901 - 1913 *Miss E. Broad 1914 *R. Lacey 1915 - 1920 *Charles K. Jago 1920 - 1956 *Norman Williams 1957 - 1973

Bells

The church contains a ring of 8 bells with the tenor weight of 876kg.

Gallery

St Fimbarrus' Church, Fowey - geograph.org.uk - 1240053.jpg , Church tower Nave looking east, St Fimbarrus Church, Fowey, Cornwall - February 2024 (2).jpg , Nave Church of St Fimbarrus Or St Nicholas 6.jpg , Monument

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fowey 14th-century church buildings in England Conservative evangelical Anglican churches in England Grade I listed churches in Cornwall Church of England church buildings in Cornwall