April - Cornwall Tour

Cornwall Tour - Day 2

Late leaving our hotel due to Indian's and Pirates taking over the restaurant - It seems that Exeter Rugby Club is called the "Chiefs" and they have met up before the game, with matching costumes!!

All aboard "Melvin" our mini bus - Did you know they have a name? and off to met John Holgarth at Trewint Cottage. Another Methodist Gem hidden away:

Wesley Cottage @ Trewint

One Summer day in 1743, two of John Wesley's advance agents, John Nelson and John Downes, tired and hungry, asked for refreshment at a house with a stone porch, the home of Digory Isbell, a Journeyman Stonemason. In his absence his wife, Elizabeth, entertained the two strangers who insisted on paying and then knelt and prayed - "without a book!"

The story of these unusual visitors, with such unusual ways, was told to Digory on his return.

A year later John Wesley himself, wet and weary, was entertained in the Stonemason's house and left a rich blessing behind. Wesley records returning to the house six times, but possibly more often as the cottage was on the main route from Bristol to Truro.

Prophet's Chamber

One evening Digory Isbell read in his Bible of the Shunamite woman who built a Prophet's Chamber for a man of God. This passage seemed to Digory to contain a direct divine command, and he immediately set about building an extension to his house, two rooms, one up and one down, which could be used by John Wesley and his preachers whenever they were in the district.

Trewint became a flourishing Methodist Society, but when other chapels were opened the Trewint rooms fell into disuse and eventually became a roofless ruin.

In 1950 the Isbell house and the Wesley rooms were suitably restored and opened to the public. 

Now was it 300 or 14 
for Communion?

The rooms are also believed to be the smallest Methodist preaching place in the world.

Our thanks to John the Curator who made us very welcome with Coffee and cake on arrival. After a guided tour of the cottage we shared hospitality in the prayer garden as we shared bread and wine together, using familiar words from BCP, that John Wesley would have used.

Grave of Digory & Elizabeth

John then took us to visit  Altarnun Parish Church,  The Church of St Nonna also known as the Cathedral of the Moorto to see the grave of Digory and Elizabeth. The modern spelling of "Altarnun" is in probably wrong. The correct spelling should be "Altarnon", meaning the alter of St Non (or Nonna). She was the mother of St David. The pew ends are Beautifully carved with a variety of subjects including a jester, a man playing the bagpipes and a fiddler.

The first Methodist Preaching Room built in the village (now a house) has a sculpture over the door by Nevil Bulnard who lived next door, curved when he was only 17 years of age.

We somewhat over stayed at Altarnun and were at least an hour behind schedule.. No problem - just skip lunch! Good job I know a short cut to get to the A38 via Saltash.  I was keen to stop and revisit some of my old haunts when I was in the Saltash Circuit (1992 - 1997) especially Botus Fleming Methodist Church - whose history is clouded in murder, disappearance of a beautiful young woman and drunkenness - I regret that Anne wasn't having any of it... so we continue to Buckfast Abbey for a (very) late lunch.

Methodist Church @ Buckfast,and Abbey

I love Buckfast Abbey especially the treacle tart with clotted cream!. Today I settled on a traditional Devon Cream Tea, as the lunch time menu had gone. However I spied that some of our group had managed to get bowls of soup and sandwiches. As it was almost 3pm the Methodist Chapel was beginning its weekly service, we opted not to attend but visit the abbey instead.

The history of Buckfast Abbey is extraordinary as it is the only English mediaeval monastery to have been restored and used again for its original purpose.
Alas it was soon time for "Mervin" to return us back to Chippenham.

Keep a look out for the continuing adventure ... (can't promise Pirates or Indian's next time but who knows!!)