Page:County Churches of Cornwall.djvu/54

 32 THE CHURCHES OF CORNWALL Certain later restorers, in churches otherwise fairly well treated, as at St. Teath, St. Tudy, and St. Kew in N.E. Cornwall, insisted on clearing out all the plaster, so that you either look through a carved grill at the open spaces and rough timber beyond, or else find the delightful light plaster superseded by nicely planed and stained planks. The contrast comes out well at St. Teath, where the side aisles happily retain the whitewashed plaster, whilst the nave is rendered gloomy and bewildering, as you look up, by the spaces being opened out. 1 This treatment, however, only occurs in a minority of cases ; the careful restorers of such churches as Blisland, St. Breock, St. Buryan, Callington, St. Cleer, St. Endellion, Landewednack, Lanteglos-by- Camelford, Luxulyan, St. Mabyn, St. Mellion, Menheniot, St. Mawgan - in - Pyder, St. Mullion, Pillaton, Poughill, and several others have wisely retained the plaster. The roof carvings at Men- heniot, Pillaton, St. Ive, and Lansallos, and of the S. aisles of Padstow and Egloshayle, are exception- ally good. It was usual to roof the porches after 1 The writer has seen several wagon roofs of both Cornish, Devon, and Somerset churches in course of restoration, including Lanteglos-by-Fowey, and considers the proofs as to mediaeval plastering irrefutable ; in this he is supported by several architects of eminence, and by other ecclesiological observers. He is aware that a distinguished architect takes the opposite view, but he does not consider his statements or arguments in any way convincing. It is much to be hoped that Cornish ecclesiologists will insist on the retention of the remaining unrestored wagon roofs in their original condition.