St Buriana's Church, St Buryan, Cornwall

A shrine to the 6th-century St Buryan once attracted a visit from King Athelstan himself, a pilgrim whose generosity helped to build this grand stone church

Highlights

• Church founded by King Athelstan
• Celtic cross from St Buryan’s chapel

Two arches remain of the church built by King Athelstan – just enough to remember the obscure St Buryan. The king is also an elusive historical figure. Any solid evidence about either of them is worthy of note.

The fragments of the early 10th-century building are on the left as you face the high altar. A charming bronze statue of St Buryan holding this church stands beside them in the nave, a modern work by a local sculptor. St Buryan’s original shrine was probably built in the 6th century, sometime after her death. A round-headed cross with a worn figure of Christ is said by the church guide to be the only survivor from that time. It stands in the churchyard, by the path to the porch.

Other church artworks include a 16th-century screen, one of the best in Cornwall, with some of its coloured paint preserved. Up in the church tower hangs the heaviest peal of six bells in the world. The church was apparently built in thanksgiving for the king’s successful campaign to subdue the Scilly Isles in 932. He prayed at the saint’s shrine before he set sail and kept his promise to build her a monastic church after victory. Given that he also subdued Wales and defeated a Scottish army, it must have been one of his less taxing military adventures.

Athelstan was the first king to unite Britain under one ruler. The church flourished during his reign, which brought a rare period of peace and stability. He was both a devout Christian and a determined military leader, ruthless to England’s enemies and generous to its saints.

The earliest documentary trace of St Buryan is a 10th-century charter about this church’s foundation. The 11th-century Exeter Martyrology describes her as a ‘virgin’, presumably a nun, who came from Ireland and miraculously healed a local prince.

In an unthinking moment of religious fervour, Simon Jenkins accidentally canonises its founding king as Saint Athelstan – which rather suits such an active church builder. A Jenkins telegraphic recommendation?

Directions

St Buriana’s Church, Penzance Road/B3283, St Buryan TR19 6BX

www.stburyanchurch.org.uk

W3W: insect.sprawls.bullion

GPS: 50.0749N 5.6225W

The church is by the B3283, 4 miles from Land’s End. It was unlocked on my visit.