Grade–Ruan is a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...

on the Lizard peninsula 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 Atlan ...

, England, United Kingdom, approximately ten miles (16 km) south of Falmouth. It is a rural parish bounded to the east by St Keverne parish and by the sea; to the west by

Mullion A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid sup ...

and Cury parishes; and to the south by Landewednack parish. Grade–Ruan civil parish encompasses part of

Goonhilly Downs Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station is a large radiocommunication site located on Goonhilly Downs near Helston on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, England. Owned by Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd under a 999-year lease from BT Group plc, it was a ...

and the major settlements are Ruan Minor, St Ruan and Cadgwith. The parish was formed in 1934 because falling population necessitated merging the

ecclesiastical parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

es of Grade, Ruan Major and Ruan Minor. All three were in the Deanery and

Hundred of Kerrier The hundred of Kerrier was the name of one of ten ancient administrative shires of Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. Kerrier (sometimes Kirrier) is thought by Charles Thomas to be derived from an obsolete name (ker hyr = long fort) of Castl ...

. Formerly, Cadgwith was partly in Grade parish and partly in Ruan Minor parish. The population of Grade–Ruan has increased steadily; it was 677 in 1961, 835 in 1981, 1070 in 2001, and 936 in 2011. There is a school in the parish, Grade Ruan CE Primary School, which is situated in Ruan Minor. Grade–Ruan lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activitie ...

es of the three former parishes are St Grada at Grade, and the churches of Ruan Major and Ruan Minor, the latter two dedicated to St Rumonus. All three have towers though Ruan Minor Church tower is very small. Ruan Major Church was greatly altered by Edmund Sedding in 1867 and is now a ruin. The church of Ruan Major lay within the manor of Winnianton; its benefice was united with that of Landewednack in 1754. (There was in medieval times a chapel at Hendra.)''Cornish Church Guide'' (1925) Truro: Blackford; p. 192 The church of St Rumon in Ruan Major is a grade I listed building. The church of Ruan Minor also lay within the manor of Winnianton; it was a separate rectory in 1277. The church is a small mainly 15th century building and has a Norman piscina. Erisey Manor House (originally in the parish of Grade) is a Grade II listed farmhouse. The oldest part is part of a house built in an E shape in 1620; this has been incorporated in an 18th-century rebuilding and extensions. The 1620 house was built by Richard Erisey; the Erisey male line came to an end in 1772.Erisey Manor House
British Listed Buildings

James Erisey James Erisey was born at Erisey, Erisey House near Mullion, Cornwall, Mullion, in the parish of Grade, Cornwall, Grade in Cornwall. He sailed as a privateer with Sir Francis Drake. In 1585 Drake hired James Erisey to captain a man-of-war, man-o-w ...

was born at an earlier Erisey House; he sailed as a privateer with Sir Francis Drake.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grade-Ruan Civil parishes in Cornwall Lizard Peninsula