The now-lost site of Trelowthas Old Chapel
lies to the immediate north of Trelowthas, which is now a set of farm
buildings on the site of an old manor house that can be found to the
north of the A390 below Truck Hill in Probus. The site sits next to the
Grade 2 listed Holy Well. This probably dates to the fourteen century,
although it has been much restored. There was a chapel here that was
licensed to John Bodrugan in 1379.
St Probus & St Grace's Church lies in
the eastern-central section of the town, on the eastern side of Wagg
Lane not far south of the Tregony Road junction. The medieval church
of St Probus and St Grace stands inside a circular churchyard,
suggesting that it evolved from a very early fifth century Celtic
Christian community, or a monastery. Around AD 930, King Athelstan
founded a monastic church here, and this was mentioned in Domesday
Book in 1086.
The first vicar was installed in 1312, and
the parish had dependent chapelries at Cornelly and Merther (see
links). The current church was built mainly in the 1400s but the
tower was still being built in 1523. The building was restored
from 1850 by George Edmund Street, although ceilings and pillars
had been plastered and whitewashed (probably thanks to the
Reformation). The church was filled with high pews made of deal.
Street's work restored many old features.
St George's Chapel, Probus, no longer
exists. In 1447 the chapel, dedicated to St George, was erected
in the churchyard of St Probus (see above) but no trace of it
remains. Old maps show it at the far end in the south-eastern
corner of the churchyard. There is a lovely old sexton's hut there
now which is attached to the southern end of the sexton's cottage.
Unfortunately it is very much in disrepair with tiles falling into
the road that runs alongside the wall.
Probus Wesleyan (Old) Meeting Place is on
the eastern side of Chapel Street, immediately north of St Probus
(above). It was Probus Wesleyan Day School in 1885-1930 when it merged
with the Anglican school. A central door was under the round window.
It is possible that this predates the school and the Wesleyan chapel
next door (see below). Probus first gained a chapel in 1788 - extended
in 1802 and 1812, location uncertain. Baptisms took place in 1815-1837.
Probus Wesleyan Chapel is on Chapel Street.
Built around 1837, it replaced an earlier chapel in the town which
may have been next door (see above for more on this). In 1851 there
was an agreement to purchase the leasehold for the new chapel and
records show a reopening in 1877. It became Probus Methodist
Church in 1932. Records exist for Probus Methodist society until
the 1990s and then a letter of sale dated 1994. The building is now
a flourishing antiques shop.
