Located at Trevose Golf & Country Club on Trevose Head in Section 04 of Cornwall National Landscape (Trevose Head to Stepper Point), St Constantine’s Chapel is the remains of a medieval chapel and holy well situated 60m north of the chapel.
This monument is one of 40 scheduled monuments included on the Monumental Improvement project.
Check out this short film giving an overview of all the work carried out by the project at St Constantine’s Chapel!
The chapel and holy well are included on Historic England’s Heritage At-Risk register due largely to excessive plant growth.
The management history of the monument is extensive since its scheduling in the late 1920’s or early 1930’s, when it was described as being ‘in good keeping’. The site has become overgrown since, and by 1979 was obscured by dense ivy, brambles and bushes.
Recent clearance work carried out by the project revealed the condition of the stonework of the chapel. Following this a structural survey was carried out which identified that further consolidation was needed to the chapel tower and walls to ensure its long term survival.
During the conservation works, the project installed a new physical interpretation board west of the scheduled area. The interpretation sits adjacent to the existing golf tee and at the terminus of the public right of way leading up to the site.
The interpretation includes a plexiglass panel with an etching of what the chapel may have looked like. Also included on the panel is information about the monument as well as the works being carried out.
Furthermore you can scan the QR code on the panel which will take you to a designated webpage for St Constantine’s Chapel where you can find digital assets including drone photography and 360 panoramic images as well as reports such as a geophysical survey of the site, an ecology briefing note and topographic surveys for anyone interested in finding out more about the site.
Whilst excavating the trenches at the chapel entrance, the team unearthed various human remains including part of a mandible and two femurs.
These bones will be reinterred in their original resting place at the end of the conservation work as the trenches are bakcfilled.
During May we hosted a week of activities at the site including two guided walks and an onsite demonstration & talk about using lime mortar when carrying out repairs to historic buildings, the same techniques used to repair St Constantine’s Chapel.
Onsite all week was Drolla – The Story Telling bench. A sculpted bench which tells the story of Cornwall’s heritage and culture. Find out more about Drolla here – Drolla – The Storytelling Bench – Cornwall National Landscape
Also during the week we hosted two work experience students who got hands on experience, working on an archaeological site, recording archaeological finds and finding out more about the amazing heritage we have in Section 04 of Cornwall National Landscape.
In Autumn 2025 further works will be carried out including turf capping of the chapel tower. The Monumental Improvement project have worked with the landowner to create a future management plan for the site which will help support the long-term legacy and survival of the monument.
