Altarnun ( ; ) is a village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

, England, United Kingdom. It lies west of Launceston on the north-eastern edge of

Bodmin Moor Bodmin Moor () is a granite moorland in north-eastern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in size, and dates from the Carboniferous period of geology, geological history. It includes Brown Willy, the highest point in Cornwall, and Rough To ...

at . The parish of Altarnun includes the village of Fivelanes and the hamlets of Bolventor, Treween and Trewint, and had a population of 976 at the 2001 census, increasing to 1,084 according at the 2011 census. Other hamlets in the parish are Bowithick, Palmersbridge, South Carne, Tolborough, Lower Tregunnon and Tredaule. The area of the parish is , the largest in Cornwall. By the time of the 2011 census the figures for the ward of Altarnun were provided. This ward contained 48 locations in the area and gave a population of 4,038. The moorland area of the parish is large and lies west of the village towards Rough Tor and southwards towards

Dozmary Pool Dozmary Pool is a small lake, in the civil parish of Altarnun on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, UK. It is situated from the sea and lies about north-east of Bodmin and south of Bolventor. It originated in the post-glacial period. The outflow fr ...

. There is a large conifer plantation at Wilsey Down Forest (Halvana Plantation). The village is in the valley of the Penpont Water and the parish is divided by the A30 trunk road which passes close to Fivelanes, once an important stopping place for stage coaches.

Church

A Norman church was built in Altarnun in the 12th century, but the present church was built in the 15th century from unquarried stone ( moorstone) from

. The church is dedicated to St Nonna, mother of St David. A

Celtic cross upright 0.75 , A Celtic cross symbol The Celtic cross is a form of ringed cross, a Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring, that emerged in the British Isles and Western Europe in the Early Middle Ages. It became widespread through its u ...

from the time of St Nonna stands by the church gate. Another cross is at Two-gates by the road about half a mile (0.8 km) north of the church; it is locally known as "Short Cross" and is probably a fragment of what was once a taller stone. Other crosses are known as Sanctuary Cross, Halvana Cross, Occasiney Cross, Trekennick Cross, Tresmeak Cross and St Vincent's Mine Cross. As the largest parish church on

, the Church of St Nonna is known as the 'Cathedral of the Moor'. It was built largely in the 15th century in the Perpendicular style, with its bell tower standing high. It is notable for a fine Norman font and old woodwork, including the screen, bench-ends and communion rails which date to 1684. The screen is one of the finest 15th-century examples in Cornwall; it has three gates and the cornice of vines and tracery and the vaulting are finely carved.

John Wesley John Wesley ( ; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a principal leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies ...

often visited Trewint, lodging in Digory Isbell's home which is now a museum of Wesley and Methodism. (The former Altarnun Wesleyan chapel has the head of Wesley carved over the doorway by Neville Northey Burnard. This was done when Burnard was aged sixteen years and lived next door.)

Language and culture

Altarnun features in the novel '' Jamaica Inn'' by

Daphne du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Gerald du Maurier, Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her gra ...

, set in the parish's former coaching house by the same name. The village was surveyed for the

Survey of English Dialects The Survey of English Dialects was undertaken between 1950 and 1961 under the direction of Harold Orton of the English department of the University of Leeds. It aimed to collect the full range of speech in England and Wales before local differe ...

Cornish wrestling

Cornish wrestling Cornish wrestling () is a form of wrestling that has been established in Cornwall for many centuries and possibly longer. It is similar to the Breton people, Breton Gouren wrestling style. It is colloquially known as "wrasslin’"Phillipps, K C: ...

tournaments, for prizes, were held in Fivelanes in the 1800s.Royal Cornwall Gazette, 13 July 1816.

Notable people

British bryologist Frances Elizabeth Tripp (1832–1890) grew up in Altarnun, where her father was vicar. The village was the birthplace of sculptor Neville Northey Burnard (1818–1878).

References

External links

Altarnun Parish Council
archived in 2006
Genuki: Altarnun
{{authority control Civil parishes in Cornwall Villages in Cornwall Bodmin Moor Altarnun