We have been some what remiss in keeping this website
up to date, but that is not because there is a lack of action. There is
quite a lot of news to report, though, when I look back at the previous
newsletters I am reminded of the frustration that we have experienced
Since becoming a registered charity we have been able
to initiate the long process of raising funds. We have three sites related
to St Piran that we are maintaining or seeking to maintain. To remind you,
we have been engaged for the last four years or so in trying to uncover the
Oratory of St Piran which is buried under a dune on Perran Sands; we are
seeking to excavate the Second Church so that its history is more accessible
to visitors; and we have taken over the management of St Piran Round, one of
the most perfectly preserved playing places in Britain.
The Oratory story has progressed somewhat in
that we have quite a lot of data from the piezometers that have been placed
around the site. Piezometers are instruments for measuring water levels. One
of the many obstacles in the way of excavating the Oratory is the fear that
the excavation may cause the water table in the area to fall, thereby
endangering a rare plant called shoredock which is found nearby. Preliminary
readings suggest that there is no connection between the water table under
the Oratory and the water table under the shoredock. If these readings are
consistent, we will be sure that excavating the Oratory will not endanger
the survival of the shoredock.
We have made a good deal of progress on the
Second Church (click on the link to
see a painting of the church). We are being assisted by Cornwall County
Council's Historic Environment Service with strong support from Dick Cole,
and, with funding from English Heritage the Devon based firm of Substrata
Ltd has undertaken a geophysical survey of the below ground remains
around the Church. As well as recording the banked enclosure around the
churchyard, the survey recorded important evidence of the old Churchtown. We
can see a number of small fields, and evidence of cultivation. Dick
described the results as 'fantastic', and said
'This survey has identified a large number of archaeological
features around St Piran's Church, which clearly relate to the now buried
remains of the historic Churchtown settlement.'
The Historic Environment Service also funded from its budget
(to which English Heritage, Cornwall Heritage Trust and the County Council
contribute) excavation of two test pits in the Church. The findings from
these excavations provide important information for the full excavation that
we hope to undertake next year.
The Round is steadily
improving under our care.
We had our first performance during Lowender Peran when Mummers from the
Isle of Mann gave an impromptu rendering of
St Piran Triumphs
... (click on the link for a photo).
2005 should see, we hope, a lot of progress. Please get in
touch with if you would like more information, or if you would like to help.
Perran Penrose
Chairman
St Piran Trust
