Saint Breaca

The village of Breage was named after St Breaca, who came from Ireland to Cornwall in c 460. where she led a solitary life in great sanctity and was honoured with a church famous for pilgrimages and miracles..
This church built of granite was probably built in the 12th Century.
The ancient Irish style ring- headed cross is possibly 10th century.
A modern sculpture of St Breaca’s head, based on simplified pebble forms, on a simple dark plinth, is a joint venture between a local artist, Bob Dawson who lives in the village, and Trefor Bowen a church warden.
The Medieval wall paintings were discovered in 1891.
The background to the war memorial is the coastal town of Porthleven.
Looking round the graveyard I came across a poignant inscription on a grave stone, showing how hard life was back in the 1800’s.

The first extra collage is the nearby Church of St Germoe. He was a king in Ireland and brother of St Breaca.
The font is 11th century. Decorated for the harvest festival.
St Germoe’s chair is a medieval shrine.
The 14th C. square window is rare in Cornwall.
My grandmother was born in Germoe though I’m not sure exactly where, as it covered a wide area in the 1800s.
However there are three gravestones for her cousins and other relatives. Now we are finding it very difficult to read the inscriptions.
The one in the photo is for a little boy who died in 1857 aged 9.

We visited these churches this afternoon, but this morning we visited a site which went even further back in time.
The remains of the Ancient village of Chysauster. One of the finest Romano - British villages in Britain. Probably originated as an Iron Age settlement in about 400BC. Abandoned about the 3rd century AD.
( see 2nd extra)

Finished off our last day down at Perranuthnoe sat on the rocks watching the tide coming in. The sunlight making the sea sparkle.
Beautiful end to our holiday.