A Guide to the Mount's Bay and the Land's End / Comprehending the topography, botany, agriculture, fisheries, antiquities, mining, mineralogy and geology of West Cornwall

by John Ayrton Paris

Buryan.

The Deanery is in the gift of the Crown, as a royal peculiar, and is tenable with any other preferment. The Dean exercises an independent jurisdiction in all ecclesiastical matters within the parish of St. Burian, and its dependent parishes of St. Levan, and Sennan. He is the Rector, and is entitled to all tithes. A Visitation court is held in his name, and the appeal from it is only to the King in council. Athelstan is said to have granted to this church the privilege of a Sanctuary, and a ruin overgrown with ivy; standing on an estate called Bosliven, about a mile east from the church, is thought to be its remains, but Mr. Lysons justly observes that the Sanctuary usually comprised the church itself, and perhaps a certain privileged space beyond it, and that the ruins to which the tradition attaches, are probably those only of an ancient chapel.

From St. Buryan the traveller may at once return to Penzance, which is about six miles distant, but as no object of particular interest will occur in the direct road, it is unnecessary for us to attend him thither. Should he, however, be inclined to extend his excursion, he will receive much gratification in returning by a somewhat circuitous route along the southern coast, through the parish of Saint Paul. In this case, we may first proceed to Boskenna, the seat of John Paynter Esq. a highly romantic spot, abounding with woodcocks, and which under the direction of a skilful landscape gardener might be made to emulate in beauty any of the charming villas that adorn the under-cliff of the Isle of Wight. On this estate there is a superficial quarry of decomposing granite, which the mineralogist ought to visit, for the purpose of obtaining some remarkably fine specimens of felspar in separate crystals, which may be easily removed from the mass in which they lie imbedded.

At Bolleit, in a croft near Boskenna, and adjoining the high road, is to be seen a circle of stones very similar to that we have already described (p. [81],) except that it has not a central pillar; the appellation given to these stones is that of the "Merry Maidens," on account of a whimsical tradition, that they were once young women transformed like Niobe into stones, as a punishment for the crime of dancing on the Sabbath day. In a field on the opposite side of the road there are two upright stones standing about a furlong asunder, the one being nearly twelve, the other sixteen feet in height. They are probably sepulchral monuments; the same ridiculous tradition, however, attaches to them as to the circle, and has accordingly bestowed upon them the appellation of the "Pipers."

At Carn Boscawen, on this coast, is to be seen a very extraordinary group of rocks, consisting of a large flat stone, the ends of which are so poised upon the neighbouring rocks, as to leave an opening underneath; Dr. Borlase, with his accustomed zeal, insists upon its Druidical origin, and ever ready to supply the deficiency of both history and tradition by the sallies of an active imagination, very confidently informs us, that "this said opening beneath the pensile stone was designed for the seat of some considerable person, from which he might give out his edicts, and decisions, his predictions, and admissions to Noviciates"!—Risum teneatis geologici?

In our road to Saint Paul, we pass Trouve, or Trewoof, an estate situated on the side of a woody hill, overlooking a romantic valley, which is terminated by Lemorna Cove, a spot which should be visited by every stranger who delights in the "lone majesty of untamed Nature." Within the estate of Trouve are the remains of a triple entrenchment, in which runs a subterranean passage; and, it is said, that during the civil wars a party of Royalists were here concealed from the observation of the forces of Sir Thomas Fairfax. There is a fine chalybeate spring on this estate.

At Kerris, in the parish of Paul, about five miles from Penzance, is an oval enclosure called "Roundago," which is stated to have been connected with Druidical rites; time and the Goths, however, have nearly destroyed its last remains, so that the antiquary will require the eyes of a Borlase to recognise its existence by any description hitherto given of it.

Paul Church is a very conspicuous object from its high elevation,[45] and interests the historian from the tradition, already stated, of its having been burnt by the Spaniards, upon which occasion the south porch alone is said, in consequence of the direction of the wind, to have escaped the conflagration. A pleasing confirmation of this tradition was lately afforded during some repairs, when one of the wooden supporters was found charred at the end nearest the body of the church. It also deserves notice that the thick stone division at the back of the Trewarveneth pew, which has so frequently occasioned enquiry, is a part of the old church, which escaped the fire. In the church is the following curious notice of its having been burnt, "The Spanger burnt this church in the year 1595."