Churches of the British Isles

Take Old Tram Road into Devoran, divert onto St John's Terrace, and turn right into Belmont Terrace to find Devoran Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. It sits on the east side of the lane, about halfway up. Built in 1825, it was rebuilt on a larger scale in 1861. The rear schoolroom appears to be older, likely part of the 1825 chapel. The new chapel's fine interior survived intact along with some paving outside. The last services were held in 2023 before the chapel went to auction.

St John the Evangelist Meeting Room (Old School & Church Room) can be found at the far end of St John's Terrace, where it meets Market Street and at the junction's inside corner. Thomas Phillpotts, who was also a magistrate, was instrumental in the establishment of Devoran School which opened in 1846. From 14 March 1847 the school was also used for church services until the opening of the parish church in July 1856. It closed in 2008 and is now residential.

Devoran Church Room (Market St) sits a little farther down Market Street, on the other side of a car park between it and the old school (above). A church room was held on the first floor of 'a' building in Market Street (presumably this one, Market House), which had been in use since the 1920s when it was donated by Lord Clifden. It had previously been the home of the Loyal Agar Robartes lodge of the 'Ancient Order of Oddfellows'. The lodge was operational in 1862-1912.

St John the Evangelist & St Petroc, Devoran Parish Church, can be found in the centre of the village, on the northern side of Devoran Lane, immediately beyond the Market Street/St John's Terrace junction. Initially this was a chapel-of-ease to the parish of Feock (see 'related links'), originally being referred to as St Peter's Church. However, at its consecration on 23 May 1857, the dedication was to St John Evangelist, causing no little confusion over the years.

In April 1873 the church and its surrounding area were separated from Feock parish church to form a parish of its own. The church was renovated in 1879, and a new organ was provided in October 1903. In the late 1950s the name of St Petroc was added to that of St John by the then-bishop of Truro (see links for Truro, churches). It seats about a hundred and the parish centre was opened in 1991. Still active within the community it is now a Grade 2 listed building.

Five photos on this page by Jo Lewis, and one via Geograph under a Creative Commons licence.