St Endellion
St Endellion, Cornwall
St Endellion is one of England’s holy places, an ancient collegiate church with four prebends.
It is a fine and spacious church, very well cared for, where the character of the Sunday Parish Communion, from the first moment when you walk down the lane and hear the bells cheerily ringing, is friendly and welcoming.
St Minver is dedicated to Saint Menefreda, one of the 24 children of Brychan whom, tradition holds, came to Cornwall from Wales in the 5th century. Among her sisters were Endelienta, Mabyn and Teath to all of whom local churches or chapels were dedicated. These early Christian missionaries did not always make a clear break with existing religions but attempted, gradually, to assimilate and change the old beliefs.
It is possible that St Minver is built on a pagan site. In the oldest part of the churchyard are crude slate coffins believed to be evidence of pre Christian burials, possibly of the same date as those evidenced on Dartmoor.
Like many churches in North Cornwall, St Minver had connections with the Augustinian priory in Bodmin.
In August 1269 the parish was appropriated to the use of the prior and convent who became responsible for nominating the vicar of the parish who was in turn responsible for serving St Minver and its two dependant chapels of St Michael and St Enodoc.