The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 3 (of 4)
History
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 3 (of 4)
Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Geology -- England -- Cornwall (County)
In Wolsey’s Inquisition 1521, the rectory of Roach was valued in £20.
The patronage in coparcenary between Arundell of Lanherne and Heart
alternately, (by a title derived from the heirs of De Rupes, or
Roaches, who endowed it). The incumbent Treweeke. This parish was
rated to the four shillings per pound Land Tax for one year, 1696,
£147. 13_s._ 6_d._
Moreover, in this parish, whereof I treat, upon the top of the stony
rock before mentioned, is still extant the moorstone walls, durnes,
and windows (the roof long since dilapidated or demolished by time),
an ancient chapel for divine service; though now, by reason the old
stone stairs ascending thereto are pulled down by the tenants of the
manor aforesaid, and converted to common uses, the access thereto is
very difficult and dangerous. The wall consists of about twenty feet
in length, ten feet in height, and about twelve in breadth; one part
of it is cut by art out of the natural rock, about thirty feet high
from the ground; the other part built of lime and stone, so strong and
curious, that neither time, wind, nor weather can yet disfigure it. In
its garret over, as appears by the beam holes, there was formerly a
lodge or planchin (both which as aforesaid, long since, with the roof,
are fallen to the ground). In this chapel wall is towards the east a
large moorstone window where the altar stood, with a moorstone door or
durns on the south for entrance, and another such door leading to the
west, through which you are brought out into a little garden plot and
tye-pit on the Rock, that overlooks the country many miles round. Who
built this chapel, whether the De Rupes, lords thereof, or others, it
is not recorded, nor at what time. But most certain it is, that from
this stone rock, the chapel, church, and parish have the denomination
Roach.
Mr. Carew in his Survey of Cornwall, p. 139, (p. 324 Lord
Dunstanville’s edit.) tells us, that near this rock there is another,
which having a pit in it, containeth water, which ebbs and flows as
the sea doth. I was thereupon very curious to inspect this matter, and
found it was only a hole artificially cut in a stone about twelve
inches deep and six broad; wherein, after rayne, a pool of water
stands; which, afterwards with fair weather vanisheth away and is
dried up; and then again on the falling of rain water is replenished
accordingly; which, with dry weather, abates as aforesaid (for upon
those occasions I have seen it to have water in its pit, and again to
be without it), which doubtless gave occasion to the feigned report
that it ebbs and flows as the sea: of all which premisses thus speaks
Mr. Carew further out of the Cornish Wonder-Gatherer:
You neighbour-scorners, holy, proud,
Goe people Roache’s cell,
Far from the world and neer to the Heavens;
There, hermitts, may you dwell.
Is’t true the Springe in Rock hereby
Doth tidewise ebb and flowe;
Or have we fooles with lyars met?
Fame says its, be it soe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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