Modern Britain

Further north from Trevillick (above) along the same road is Trenowth Mill and railway viaduct. Immediately beyond that was Trenowth Chapel, on a point of high rocks known as Chapel Rock in Trenowth Woods. This was part of the estate of Trenowth House. Trenowth was first recorded in AD 969 as Trefneweth, meaning 'new farm'. Marked on old maps as Holy Trinity and St Mary's Chapel, the now-inaccessible medieval chapel is also mentioned in the Magna Britannica.

Coombe Wesleyan Methodist Chapel lies on the outside corner of Coombe Hill as it passes under the railway, turning right towards Coombe itself (also known as St Stephen's Coombe). Marked on old maps as a Wesleyan Methodist chapel, it is now a Grade 2 listed building. An inscription says 'Dated 1859; enlarged 1890'. Planning was approved in 1996 to convert it into a studio dwelling. It is unclear how this Methodist chapel was related to the other in Coombe (below).

There is evidence of Methodism in Coombe in the 1770s with accounts of the first chapel being built in 1783. The first building was likely replaced by the current one, in existence by 1829 and with a date stone which says 1833. It served a Wesleyan congregation until 1932 and then as Coombe United Methodist Chapel. It lies on the left-hand side of the road through Coombe, about ninety metres east of the St Stephens junction, and is now a private residence.

Paramore Bible Christian Chapel can be found at Commerce Common, on a narrow lane which leads from Lower Sticker. In 1830, a small cob-walled chapel was built down the road (below), being replaced by this one in September 1860. It became Paramore (United) Methodist Church (most likely in 1932), with renovation in 1970, and a one hundred and fiftieth anniversary in 1986. It closed in 1993, and there are papers relating to its sale between 1992 and 1996.

From Commerce Common return south to the junction and turn left. Around 150 metres later is this entrance to Penstrassoe Barton. A Bible Christian society began in the Lower Sticker area in 1820. Members originally met at Penstrassoe Farmhouse but, by 1830, they needed their own chapel so they built their cob-walled Penstrassoe Barton Bible Christian Chapel here, at the entrance to Penstrassoe Barton. This was replaced by the new chapel (above) in 1860.

All photos on this page by Jo Lewis.