One of the tallest towers in Cornwall

This beautiful Grade I listed church sits in the village of North Hill on the edge of Bodmin Moor. The tall tower, richly decorated interior and impressive scale of the church is surprising considering the size of the village, speaking of the wealth and importance of North Hill in the past.

The Church is dedicated to St Torney, a Cornish Saint and it is thought that a church in some form has existed on this site since Norman times. There is a Norman font in the church but the C14th chancel is the earliest part of the building. Most of the building you see today, including the beautiful wagon roof and impressive arcading, dates from the C15th and early C16th century.

St Torney is the parish church associated with the manor and estate of Trebartha and boasts an impressive array of monuments, memorials and stained glass with some diverse, fine, rare and significant examples. Look out for the impressive Trebartha monument featuring large scale monuments of Henry Spoure (who died in 1688 at ten years old) and his family.  A second intriguing monument to another Henry Spoure features an incised and painted skull.

If the name North Hill seems familiar, you might recognise it from Daphne Du Maurier’s 1936 literary classic Jamaica Inn. St Torney’s features in the book, and the Jamaica Inn itself is located a short distance from the village!

In April 2022, St Torney’s was placed into the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It’s currently closed as it is undergoing essential repair and conservation work and will be open in Spring/Summer 2024. Watch this space for more information.