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Gerrans () is a coastal
GENUKI website: Gerrans. retrieved May 2010 reducing to 794 at the 2011 census. Trewithian is the only settlement of any size in the parish apart from Gerrans and Portscatho. Gerrans lies within the
Gerrans parish church (dedicated to St Gerent or Gerendus) was built in the 13th century and enlarged in the 15th century when the south and aisle and the tower topped with a spire were added. However, in 1849 everything except the tower was rebuilt (by William White of Truro) though this was done as closely as possible to the original church. The two-stage tower is buttressed, battlemented, and topped by a spire.
There is a fine Cornish cross in the churchyard. According to Andrew Langdon (1994) this cross was not originally a churchyard cross but a wayside cross. No other ancient stone cross exists in the Roseland Peninsula; however a cross called Penpirthe Cross is shown on the parish terrier of 1613 as standing on the boundary of the parishes of Gerrans and Philleigh.
The manor of Tregear belonged to the Bishops of Exeter in mediaeval times and Gerent may have had a castle (Dingerein or Dinurrin) here. At the time of Domesday Book (1086) the manor was recorded as having 12 hides of land and land for 60 ploughs. The lord (the Bishop of Exeter) held half a hide of land with 2 ploughs and 6 serfs, and 18 villeins and 12 smallholders had the rest of the land with 16 ploughs. There was a quarter of a square league of pasture and half a square league of woodland. Though the value had formerly been only £5 sterling the manor was then worth £8. The manor of Tregear (or Tregaire) was one of the Cornish manors of the Bishops of Exeter; it covered much of the Roseland peninsula.Orme, Nicholas (2007) ''Cornwall and the Cross: Christianity, 500–1560''. Chichester: Phillimore in association with the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London ; pp. 11, 29
A small museum, the Gerrans Parish Heritage Centre, is located in the village.
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 ...
and village on the Roseland Peninsula in 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. The village adjoins Portscatho (the villages have almost merged into one but retain their identities) on the east side of the peninsula. The village is situated approximately south-southeast of Truro
Truro (; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England; it is the southernmost city in the United Kingdom, just under west-south-west of Charing Cross in London. It is Cornwall's county town, s ...
.
The name Gerrans derives from ''Gerent'', a 6th-century Cornish saint. The parish runs north–south along the eastern side of the Roseland peninsula. It is bounded to the south and east by the sea, to the west by St Just in Roseland parish, and to the north by Philleigh parish. The population was 933 in the 2001 census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
,GENUKI website: Gerrans. retrieved May 2010 reducing to 794 at the 2011 census. Trewithian is the only settlement of any size in the parish apart from Gerrans and Portscatho. Gerrans lies within the
Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
The Cornwall National Landscape (formerly the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) covers in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom; that is, about 27% of the total area of the county. It comprises 12 separate areas, designated under the Na ...
(AONB).
History and landmarks
Gerrans parish church (dedicated to St Gerent or Gerendus) was built in the 13th century and enlarged in the 15th century when the south and aisle and the tower topped with a spire were added. However, in 1849 everything except the tower was rebuilt (by William White of Truro) though this was done as closely as possible to the original church. The two-stage tower is buttressed, battlemented, and topped by a spire.
There is a fine Cornish cross in the churchyard. According to Andrew Langdon (1994) this cross was not originally a churchyard cross but a wayside cross. No other ancient stone cross exists in the Roseland Peninsula; however a cross called Penpirthe Cross is shown on the parish terrier of 1613 as standing on the boundary of the parishes of Gerrans and Philleigh.
The manor of Tregear belonged to the Bishops of Exeter in mediaeval times and Gerent may have had a castle (Dingerein or Dinurrin) here. At the time of Domesday Book (1086) the manor was recorded as having 12 hides of land and land for 60 ploughs. The lord (the Bishop of Exeter) held half a hide of land with 2 ploughs and 6 serfs, and 18 villeins and 12 smallholders had the rest of the land with 16 ploughs. There was a quarter of a square league of pasture and half a square league of woodland. Though the value had formerly been only £5 sterling the manor was then worth £8. The manor of Tregear (or Tregaire) was one of the Cornish manors of the Bishops of Exeter; it covered much of the Roseland peninsula.Orme, Nicholas (2007) ''Cornwall and the Cross: Christianity, 500–1560''. Chichester: Phillimore in association with the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London ; pp. 11, 29
A small museum, the Gerrans Parish Heritage Centre, is located in the village.
References
Further reading
* Doble, G. H. (1964). ''The Saints of Cornwall, part 3''; Saint Gerent, patron of Gerrans. Truro: Dean and Chapter; pp. 74–88External links
{{authority control Civil parishes in Cornwall Villages in Cornwall Populated coastal places in Cornwall