Lydford church is of fifteenth-century Perpendicular, but in the chancel is an earlier piscina, and the font is possibly pre-Norman. The chancel screen is gone, but the rood staircase remains. In the churchyard is the often-quoted epitaph of George Routleigh:-- "Here lies in horizontal position the outside case of George Routleigh, watch-maker, whose abilities in that line were an honour to his profession. Integrity was the main-spring and Prudence the regulator of all the actions of his life. Humane, generous and liberal his Hand never stopped till he had relieved distress. So nicely regulated were all his motions that he never went wrong, except when set agoing by people who did not know his key. Even then he was easily set right again. He had the art of disposing his time so well that his hours glided away in one continual round of pleasure and delight. Till an unlucky minute put a period to his existence. He departed this life Nov. 14, 1802, aged 57, wound up in hopes of being taken in hand by his Maker and of being thoroughly cleaned, repaired and set agoing in the World to Come." In the churchyard may be noticed some altar tombs of the type not infrequent round the moor. Due west of the church, across the graveyard hedge, is a small camp, possibly British. The castle is planted on a tump, a natural elevation artificially shaped, and is not particularly interesting. It is square, and was built after the Conquest. By a charter of Edward I. it was constituted a Stannary prison. Richard Strode, of Newnham Park, one of the principal gentry of the county, moved in Parliament to restrain the miners from discharging their refuse into the rivers with the result of choking up the harbours. The miners were so incensed against him that they captured him in 1512, had him summarily tried by their Stannary Laws, on Crockern Tor, and threw him into Lydford gaol, where he languished for some time, and it was with considerable difficulty that his release was obtained. What with Forest Laws and Stannary Laws, Lydford Castle rarely lacked tenants. Even in 1399 Lydford law was held in bad repute, for Wright, in his collection of political poems, prints some verses of that date which speak of it as such; and William Browne, in 1644, wrote on it:-- "I oft have heard of Lydford law, How in the morn they hang and draw, And sit in judgment after: At first I wondered at it much, But soon I found the matter such As it deserves no laughter.