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Summary

The church of Glasney College was founded in 1265 to a plan closely based on Exeter Cathedral. Excavated by HES in 2005

Protected Status

• Conservation Area: PENRYN
• Scheduled Monument CO1083: Glasney College

Other References/Statuses

• Heritage at Risk (National): English Heritage, South West
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SW73SE 5
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 18660.20
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW73SE 3.1

Monument Type(s):

• CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

The church of Glasney College was founded in 1265. It is shown on a C19th copy of a drawing made in c.1580 which shows its plan to be based on that of Exeter Cathedral. It was described by William Worcester, who visited the site in 1478 (b13). The remains of a column and the springing of an arch survive in the playing field and other in-situ features including walling and window openings have been noted in the yard at the north-eastern corner of the site.
The Friends of Glasney commissioned the Historic Environment Service to undertake an assessment and evaluation of the site of Glasney College in 2005 (b14). Extant remains of the church were uncovered in four of the five trenches, which included the southern and eastern walls, the internal wall between the south aisle and the choir, the south transept, the chapter house as well as a series of internal floor surfaces. This has allowed a tentative reconstruction to be produced showing a cruciform church with an enlarged eastern end.
Two distinct building phases can be identified. The first from 1265 to 1316 involved the building of a cruciform church with central tower (and spire?), aisles and clerestory as well as the chapter house and ancillary buildings. The second phase began in or before 1368 and was still not complete by 1445. The work done in this phase is less clear although it may have involved remodelling or rebuilding the choir and choir aisles and possibly extending the church eastwards with a Lady Chapel. Thereafter most references are to repairs.

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Site history:
1: 1968. ANK/OS
2: 1979. YOUNG, CJ/IAM
3: 1983. SHEPPARD, PA/IAM
5: 1989. PRESTON-JONES, A/CAU
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<1> UNKNOWN, 1788, PLAN OF PENRYN FORRYN (Unedited Source). SCO5634.

<2> Sowell, CR, 1865, Collegiate Church of St Thomas of Glasney, VOL 1, PT 3, 21-34 (Article in Journal). SCO5154.

<3> Rashleigh, J & Vincent, JAC, 1879, Abstract of the Glasney Cartulary, 216-263 (Article in Journal). SCO5146.

<4> Peter, TC, 1903, The History of Glasney Collegiate Church (Bibliographic reference). SCO4122.

<5> Toulmin Smith, L (Ed), 1907, The Itinerary of John Leland (Bibliographic reference). SCO4949.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1900s, 2nd Edition 6 Inch Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4051.

<7> Henderson, C, 1935, Essays in Cornish History (Bibliographic reference). SCO3501.

<8> Gover, JEB, 1948, Place-Names of Cornwall, 498 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3402.

<9> Nance, RM, 1949, Cornish Culture, NO 1, 11-17 (Article in Serial). SCO5133.

<10> Pevsner, N, 1951, The Buildings of England: Cornwall, 120 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4126.

<11> Geach, M, 1963, Glasney College, VOL 6, PT 5, 208-209 (Article in Serial). SCO5110.

<12> Roddis, RJ, 1964, Penryn: the History of an Ancient Cornish Borough (Bibliographic reference). SCO4267.

<13> Harvey, J (Ed), 1969, Itineraries of William of Worcestre (Bibliographic reference). SCO3466.

<14> Cole, R, 2005, Glasney College, Penryn, Cornwall. Archaeological Assessment and Evaluation Trenching (Cornwall Event Report). SCO3098.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO5247 - An archaeological excavation at 6 College Ope, Penryn, Cornwall (Ref: 2420)

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