St Petroc dressed as a monk above the piscina (reused holy water stoup) beside the high altar in his church at Padstow, Cornwall, England, UK.
St Petroc dressed as a monk above the piscina beside the high altar in his church at Padstow, Cornwall, England, UK. Before being reused in the Sanctuary, the piscina was a holy water stoup standing in the porch of the Medieval church. Carved using limestone from Beer in Devon, it is the earliest known representation of Cornwall's most famous saint. Petroc was of royal Welsh stock & was educated in Ireland. He sailed to the Camel estuary in the C6th. In 518 he established a church at Lanwenehoc (Landwethinoc), displacing bishop Wethinoc who was already living here with his monks, which became Petroc's Stowe, hence Padstow. Petroc died in 564, his relics, including his staff & bell, were kept at Padstow which became the centre of his cult & the Cornish see, but around 1000 his shrine was moved to Bodmin. Petroc's monastery here was destroyed during Viking raids in 981. A Norman church was started around 1100, but had to be rebuilt, possibly because the sandstone used was too soft. The present church dates from that 1425-50 rebuild.
Size: 2652px × 3780px
Location: St Petroc's Church, Padstow, Cornwall, England, UK
Photo credit: © Mick Sharp / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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