Gwennap

The mysterious Gwennap Pit, found just outside St Day, is a round, grass covered amphitheatre 114 feet in diameter that is thought to have been created by the collapse of a subterranean mine shaft. Used as a cock pit, this curious theatre is sometimes referred to as the ‘Methodist Cathedral’, as it was here that John Wesley preached on many occasions from 1743 onwards. At one time Wesley estimated that the congregation here exceeded 30,000, noting in his diary, ‘I shall scarce see a larger congregation till we meet in the air.’ In 1806, the seating terraces were cut into the banks and, the following year, a Whit Monday service was held which has continued and is now the annual focus for Methodist pilgrimage from around the world. 

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