4. The Church and Churchyard of St Levan

The first church on this site was built in the 9th or 10th century and it is certain that the present church stands on the site of the place where St Levan created a centre of Christianity. Parts of the old church date back to Norman times and the church as it stands now was restored around 1876 after years of neglect. Of particular interest are the carved pew ends, some of which date back to the 14th century. There are many connections between the Church and the Eastern Telegraph Company station at Porthcurno, including a tablet in the chancel recording the death of A. Baglehole, a probationer (trainee) from Porthcurno who fell from the cliffs near Land’s End in 1879 and of two other company staff. A bible in the church also originates from the Eastern Telegraph Company’s station at Madeira, where it had been in use since 1873. A full and detailed description of the origins of St Levan and the Church can be found in ‘A History of the Church of St Levan’, by Jeffery Burr available in the church.

On leaving the church, near the porch on the left of the path is a large rounded rock split in two, known as St Levan’s stone. It is said that when the gap in the stone is wide enough for a pack horse to walk between the two halves, the world will end! "When with panniers astride A pack horse can ride Through St Levan stone The world will be done" Originally a wall was built around the area of the stone with 6 stone crosses. Only two of these crosses remain today in the churchyard, near the stone. These date from the 6th or 7th century AD. In the South West corner of the graveyard is a large square burial plot. This is a mass grave where the captain and crew of the Liverpool ship ‘Khyber’ lie. They were drowned when their ship was wrecked at Porthloe Cove during a storm in 1905. Also on the South West side is the grave of another seafarer, Captain Richard Wetherall of Scilly, who was drowned at Land’s End in 1911. On leaving the churchyard by the main gate, cross over road and follow the track signposted to Porthchapel beach.