Churches of the British Isles

St Katherine's Old Chapel lay virtually opposite North Street's entrance to the Methodist Church (above). Medieval North Street grew in importance, with buildings along its north side. These included a chapel by the early 1400s, thought to have been dedicated to St Katherine. The Reformation saw it closed and by 1620 it was noted as 'decayed chapel and old pair of walls sometime known [as] the chapel'. This was redeveloped into today's houses at Nos 16-17.

The Parish Church of St Bartholomew occupies a large churchyard at the south-west corner of the junction between North Street and Church Lane. Its dedication is for St Bartholomew the Apostle and Martyr, and the structure was probably erected about the year 1190 by Robert de Cardinan, lord of the town of Lostwithiel and possessor of a great deal of property in the neighbourhood. It replaced an earlier church which was perhaps Saxon but probably Celtic in origin.

The Pentewan stone tower was added in the thirteenth century, to be capped off with the spire in the early fourteenth century. An octagonal screen was added around its base around the same time, with windows on four of its eight sides (since removed). The church was restored in 1878 and 1879 by Messrs Phelp and Brown of Lostwithiel. The internal plaster ceiling was removed in favour of an open-timbered pine roof, the pews were taken out, and the floors relaid.

North Street Wesleyan Meeting House stands at No 22, on the northern side, opposite the parish church (above). This stone-faced building was established as the town's first Wesleyan meeting house in 1790, a year after John Wesley had visited the town. Records from 1823 note the existence of a 'preaching house' here. By 1812 the Methodists had been able to erect a purpose-built chapel on King Street (see links), and the house returned to private use.

Pill Old Chapel (or Pyle) lies at the southern end of a long lane which connects under the railway bridge to the eastern end of Dark Lane, on Lostwithiel's southern edge. Lanlivery parish once contained a number of chapels, including those of St Nicholas at Bodardle, St Peter at Poldew, and St Chad at Pelyn (see links for all three). The fourth was at the 'mansion of La Pyle' (today the area is referred to as Pill). All were closed at the Reformation and remains are scant.

All photos on this page by Jo Lewis.