Churches of the British Isles

St Just Chapel-of-Ease, Gorran Haven, is on the east side of Church Street. It began in the 1400s as a chapel-of-ease, perhaps replacing an older chapel. Sold in 1568, it became a fishermen's store, then a ruin. It hosted dissenting services from 1779. From 1812 it was the Congregationalist Old Chapel Cellar, until they moved to Mount Zion (below). It was also briefly used by Wesleyans before they moved (below). In 1885 it was restored, and remains in Anglican service today.

Gorran Haven Mount Zion Chapel is on the east side of Church Street. Built in 1863 for Congregationalists, it became part of the Congregation Union as Haven Church. From the 1970s it was independent and remains active. It should not be confused with the recently clarified history of the short-lived Gorran Haven Bible Christian Chapel (1830-1846?). That sat slightly further to the north, at the bottom of Cliff Road, in the gardens of what is now Rose Cottages.

Gorran Haven Wesleyan Methodist Chapel edges into the southern side of Canton, about two hundred metres west of St Just. Originally thought to have been Primitive Methodist, recent research (2024) has confirmed it as Wesleyan, built in 1830 with a lease from 1829. It appears on Wesleyan preaching plans and in the 1867 return. It even had its own crockery labelled 'Gorran Wesleyan Chapel'. It closed around 2000, and was converted around 2013 to residential.

The site of Bodrugan Chapel was within Bodrugan Manor's grounds (now a holiday complex), outside the last corner before the sharp-descent into Portmellon on the road from Gorran Haven. Bodrugan Barton is described as 'medieval Barton owned by the Bodrugan family'. The manor comprised a farm house and chapel, possibly with a park. The chapel existed in 1372 but the entire manor was pulled down in 1786. Only a chapel wall remained as part of a barn.

The now-lost Galowras Old Chapel existed close to the equally now-lost castle of the same name, a little over 1.5 kilometres due west of Portmellon. Known as Gloeret in Domesday Book (1086) a chapel is listed here in 1309, possibly dedicated as St John's Chapel. This listing locates it at Galowras Manor House, a short way due north from Castle Hill - now Boslinney Barn B&B. The 1894-95 Comprehensive Gazetteer of England & Wales confirms the chapel's existence.

All photos on this page by Jo Lewis, with additional information from The Saints of Cornwall, Nicholas Orme (OUP Oxford, 2000).