Morwenstow is the one-time home of the eccentric vicar and poet Robert Stephen Hawker (1803–1875), the writer of Cornwall's anthem Trelawny. Hawker is also credited with reviving the custom of Harvest Festivals.
The nearby coast is hazardous to shipping and the corpses of drowned sailors were laid out in the churchyard and then buried. Hawker buried over forty who were washed up within the parish boundaries.
One of the memorials in the churchyard was the white figurehead of the "Caledonia", a brig from Scotland that sank on the perilous rocks of Higher Sharpnose in 1842. The captain and crew are buried in the churchyard. In 2004 the figurehead was removed for conservation, with the intention of placing a replica in the churchyard and the conserved original inside the church.[7]
History and description
St John's holy wellThe gateway of Tonacombe manorStanbury Mouth
A path leads from the church and down to the cliff edge, where the National Trust's smallest building, "Hawker's Hut", is built into the face of the cliff overlooking the sea out towards the island of Lundy. Here, Hawker spent many hours in contemplation, writing poetry, and smoking his opium pipe. He also entertained guests here, including Alfred Tennyson and Charles Kingsley.[8]
The holy well of St John on the glebe was mentioned in 1296. The so-called well of St Morwenna is on the cliff. There was a chapel of St Mary at Milton in 1407.[9]
Nearby Tonacombe Manor has been described as the perfect Tudor manor. A round-headed Celtic cross was found here in the early 20th century; no round-headed cross was known north of Laneast before this one was found.[10]
A striking example of curved and contorted stratified rocks occurs at Stanbury Creek. Dark cliffs of folded, interbedded shales and mudstones form wave-cut platforms.
GCHQ Bude, a satellite ground station stands on the cliffs of Cleave and its array of dishes is visible for miles around.
Cornish wrestling
Cornish wrestling tournaments, for prizes, were held at an Inn that used to adjoin Morwenstow church.[11]
Literary associations
Higher Sharpnose Point
Morwenstow and its surroundings feature heavily in the plot of the mystery thriller novel Set in Stone (1999) by the British author Robert Goddard.
The Wreck at Sharpnose Point by Jeremy Seal (June 2003) is a novel based on the wrecking of the 'Caledonia' (first published in New York, 2001 ISBN0-330-37465-6).
