St Nicholas Church
St Nicholas Church, The Quayside, West Looe
Originally the Chapel of St Nicholas belonged to the Church of Talland, as also did the village of West Looe. Later however it came under the authority of St Martins by Looe and was looked after by the Rector of this Church. In 1845, however, by an Order of Council, the parish of ‘East and West Looe' was established. But it was not until 1852 that the Church of St Nicholas was taken back into the care of the Church commissioners.
In its history, west looe Church has served many useful purposes in the Looe community; from the mid-16th century serving both as a Town Hall for the ‘West Looe Corporation' and as a Church whenever Civic business was not being undertaken. Later it was used as a free mathematical school and in the 19th century for the use of ‘strolling players'. In 1547 it was decided to build a prison (‘the Dark Hole') occupying about half the length of the North wall with an outside entrance. The blocked entrance is still visible on the ‘new' North wall which was originally the windowless outside wall of the prison. The East end of the Church was used as a court until about 1839.
The exact date as to when the Church was built is not known, but it was certainly before 1336 when Sir John Dawnay and members of the Parish of Talland endowed the Church. Surviving the Chantry Acts of 1547 and 1548, which the nearby Chapel of Lamana and Chapel of St George on Looe Island did not, it is recorded that in 1549 Commissioners noted that St Nicholas possessed a partially gilt Chalice weighing 8 oz and also ‘two bells hanging in the tower'. The present bell was cast in 1730 and in 1835 an Italianate wooden cupola was added to the tower. The Millennium was marked by placing a new clock on the tower, which was dedicated in December 2000. The church of St Nicholas is one of Looes most historic buildings with a wealth of fascinating features and even more fascinating history that accompanies it. Exploring this couldn't be easier. There are many self catering cottages in Looe available for rent. Situated in Cornwall, the part of the UK with probably the finest weather, Looe is well placed to serve the needs of the holidaymaker. Even in peak season there are plenty of self catering cottages in Looe to chose from.
Did you know?
St Nicholas was a man known for his generosity. The characters of Father Christmas and Santa Claus are based on him and his good works.
This Visitor Attractions Cornwall article was created on 8th March 2010
