In the Domesday Book, 20 William I. 1087, this district was partly taxed under the jurisdiction of Tre-roach, that is the rock town, now Tre-garrek, or Trecarrek, (i. e. the rock town, also in Cornish,) the voke lands of the still notable manor or lordship here so called; from whence may be inferred, that before the Norman Conquest here was an endowed rectory church, called Roch (i. e. Rock), and the village adjoining, still Roach Town, and Roach Church Town.
Moreover, in the inquisition of the bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, into the value of Cornish Benefices, 1294, Ecclesia de Rupe, in decanatu de Powdre, i. e. after the Latin, the church of the Rock, or the Rock church, was valued £6. 6s. 8d.
In Wolsey’s Inquisition 1521, the rectory of Roach was valued in £20. The patronage in coparcenary between Arundell of Lanherne and Heart alternately, (by a title derived from the heirs of De Rupes, or Roaches, who endowed it). The incumbent Treweeke. This parish was rated to the four shillings per pound Land Tax for one year, 1696, £147. 13s. 6d.
Moreover, in this parish, whereof I treat, upon the top of the stony rock before mentioned, is still extant the moorstone walls, durnes, and windows (the roof long since
dilapidated or demolished by time), an ancient chapel for divine service; though now, by reason the old stone stairs ascending thereto are pulled down by the tenants of the manor aforesaid, and converted to common uses, the access thereto is very difficult and dangerous. The wall consists of about twenty feet in length, ten feet in height, and about twelve in breadth; one part of it is cut by art out of the natural rock, about thirty feet high from the ground; the other part built of lime and stone, so strong and curious, that neither time, wind, nor weather can yet disfigure it. In its garret over, as appears by the beam holes, there was formerly a lodge or planchin (both which as aforesaid, long since, with the roof, are fallen to the ground). In this chapel wall is towards the east a large moorstone window where the altar stood, with a moorstone door or durns on the south for entrance, and another such door leading to the west, through which you are brought out into a little garden plot and tye-pit on the Rock, that overlooks the country many miles round. Who built this chapel, whether the De Rupes, lords thereof, or others, it is not recorded, nor at what time. But most certain it is, that from this stone rock, the chapel, church, and parish have the denomination Roach.
Mr. Carew in his Survey of Cornwall, p. 139, (p. 324 Lord Dunstanville’s edit.) tells us, that near this rock there is another, which having a pit in it, containeth water, which ebbs and flows as the sea doth. I was thereupon very curious to inspect this matter, and found it was only a hole artificially cut in a stone about twelve inches deep and six broad; wherein, after rayne, a pool of water stands; which, afterwards with fair weather vanisheth away and is dried up; and then again on the falling of rain water is replenished accordingly; which, with dry weather, abates as aforesaid (for upon those occasions I have seen it to have water in its pit, and again to be without it), which doubtless gave occasion to the feigned report that it ebbs and flows as the sea: of all which premisses thus speaks Mr. Carew further out of the Cornish Wonder-Gatherer:
You neighbour-scorners, holy, proud,
Goe people Roache’s cell,
Far from the world and neer to the Heavens;