St Teaths

ringsThe Church of St Tetha is situated in the heart of St Teath village, on the western slopes of the River Allen, to the south-west of Camelford. It is dedicated to St Tetha, one of the 24 sons and daughters of Prince Brychan, a Welsh chieftain. After the withdrawal of the Romans from Britain, St Tetha, along with some of her siblings, came to north Cornwall to convert people to Christianity. However, the present church has its origins in the Norman period, and remains of this early structure can be found within it, such as the Norman pillars in the Lady Chapel. The font located just inside the North Door is also thought to be Norman. This was found in 1978 in a stream outside Vicarage Farm, which was once the old vicarage. The tree-ring analysis suggests the south aisle was built soon after the felling of the timbers used in its construction in 1488–1513, some decades before the north aisle, constructed from timbers felled in 1531–56. The pews have been shown to be made from timber felled in 1499–1524.