St Germans

The village of St Germans is on the River Tiddy, part of the beautiful estuary of the Lynher which joins the Tamar just downriver from Saltash. The glory of the village is its magnificent Norman church, St Germans Parish Church named after St Germanus, bishop of Auxerre in France in the 4th and 5th centuries. It stands on the site of a Saxon cathedral and was the largest church in the county until the construction of Truro Cathedral in 1910. In 1877, when Cornwall became a diocese in its own right, St Germans was one of the places that put its name forward as the site of the cathedral (see also Bodmin, St Columb Major and Truro).

Inside the church are several striking features, the most impressive being the Burne-Jones east window and the monument to Edward Eliot. The Eliot family acquired the priory shortly after Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries and renamed their new estate Port Eliot. Port Eliot and grounds, opened to the public for the first time in March 2008. Home to the Eliot family since 1564, Port Eliot is one of the most magical and hidden stately homes in England with a long and fascinating history. The present Grade 1 listed house, with its Gothic style turrets, is largely 19th century, although it does include fragments of the ancient monastic buildings. The grounds date from the late 18th century when Humphry Repton laid them out. Currently the 10th Earl and Countess of St Germans occupy the house although the contents of the house reflect the accumulation of 30 generations of the ever prospering Eliot family. Amongst the family’s collections there are family portraits and a seascape showing Plymouth by Joshua Reynolds and several interesting pieces of museum quality furniture including an early Boule armoire. The park and more than 100 acres of gardens include a cast rhododendron garden, a maze, a bowling green, orangery, arboretum and magnificent view of the estuary and a Brunel viaduct. Considered one of the most magical gardens in England, the house and grounds remain secluded from the outside world. It is a tranquil haven. Recently, it has been the venue for a literary festival, the Port Eliot Lit Fest.

Another of St Germans’ exceptional buildings, the Sir William Moyle’s Almshouses, were built in 1583 to an unusual design - the row has prominent gables and a long first-floor balcony which is reached by a sturdy external staircase. Surrounded by neatly kept stone cottages set in flower filled gardens, the almshouses were restored in 1967.