Church of Saint Winwaloe, Gunwalloe, Parish church in Gunwalloe, England
The Church of Saint Winwaloe, Gunwalloe, is a parish church sitting directly on a beach along the Cornish coast, with a separate bell tower set into the dunes. The building shows features from the 15th century, including two medieval fonts, one of which is a Norman stone piece carved with tree of life motifs.
The church was built in the 15th century to serve the small coastal community of Gunwalloe. Over the centuries, the building was regularly cleared of sand and reinforced against storms and sea erosion to keep it standing.
The church houses sections of a 15th-century altarpiece depicting the Crucifixion, which local tradition links to a Portuguese shipwreck from 1527. These carved panels are still visible today and speak to the close ties between this coastal community and sea trade.
Getting there requires a short walk across the beach, and it is worth checking the tides before visiting as the access path can be covered by water at high tide. The church is open year-round and free to enter.
The church is the only one in Cornwall that stands directly on a beach, not simply near one. The separate bell tower is built into a rock cleft at the edge of the dunes, giving it a very different appearance from the main building.
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