Truro Cathedral, Truro

A 6.5-mile one-day pilgrimage route has been devised to Truro Cathedral, mostly following the river and estuary from the village of Tresillian‍

Highlights

• ‍‍Perfect Victorian Rendition of a Classic Medieval Cathedral

Medieval in appearance but modern in construction, Truro’s cathedral was built in a traditional style during the Victorian era. It is a fitting combination of old and new in a county that has many ancient spiritual sites that still see active use today.

The cathedral is also a testament to grand ambition, often said to be the first English cathedral built on a new site since Salisbury in 1220, although a section of the aisle from a former parish church sits within its fabric, somewhat undermining such a claim. Truro was chosen as the bishop’s seat in 1876, and the town’s existing St Mary’s church served as a temporary cathedral while plans were drawn up for a new church worthy of its place at the heart of Cornwall.

Construction work began in 1880 and finished in 1910, the entire edifice a monument to Victorian high-church confidence and a triumph of Gothic Revival architecture that has few equals. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, in part memorialising the former parish church whose stones remain.

Spiritually minded visitors can find focus for their footsteps by seeking out the sculptures in the cathedral, something of a specialty here. St Samson and St Boniface, two venerable West Country saints, are part of a series of 32 artworks by the Plymouth artist Violet Pinwill that can be found throughout the building. It also houses a precious 14th-century Pieta, the Virgin Mary holding the body of Jesus after the crucifixion, created in the 14th century by monks from northern France. Behind the high altar stands a vast carved reredos or stone screen, full of images of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice.

For quiet personal prayer, there are two chapels set aside: the Chapel of Unity and Peace near the entrance and the Jesus Chapel.

On a personal note, this was the place where I first actively attended a service after a decade away from the church in the 1990s. I noticed then that the cathedral looks and feels ancient but on close examination is relatively new. It seemed an appropriate combination to symbolise a return to the church.

Bishops have a long tradition in Cornwall, as described under the entry for St Germans where the county’s first bishop was created in 926 (page 208). St Germans certainly has impeccable historical credentials but fares rather less well when it comes to geography because it sits next to the border with Devon. Truro, by way of contrast, lies deep within western Cornwall, entirely fitting for a county that owes little to anywhere else when it comes to indigenous spiritual heritage.

Directions‍

Truro Cathedral, St Mary’s St, Truro TR1 2AF

Truro Cathedral Website

W3W: towers.just.pool

GPS: 50.2641N 5.0519W

Truro Cathedral is in the middle of the town and free to enter. Opening times are Mon-Fri 7:30 am-6 pm, Sat and Sun 7:30 am-4:30 pm.