Launcells

Launcells is a rural parish in north-east Cornwall, set in a secluded valley about 3 miles east of Bude. There is no single village centre - the parish is made up of scattered farms and the hamlets of Grimscott and Buttsbear, with the church standing at Launcells Barton.

The parish church of St Swithin’s is the main draw. John Betjeman called it “the least spoilt church in Cornwall,” and it is easy to see why. The building dates from the late 15th century, with fragments of a 14th-century structure incorporated into the walls, and a church has stood on this site since before the Domesday Book of 1086. Inside, around 60 carved bench ends depict symbols of the Passion, the Ascension, and the Agnus Dei. The chancel floor is paved with 15th-century Barnstaple encaustic tiles showing pelicans, lions, gryphons, and floral patterns. A few steps from the churchyard, an ancient holy well dedicated to St Swithin is protected by an iron grate. Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, inventor of limelight, is buried in the churchyard.

The surrounding countryside is rolling farmland crossed by deep lanes and footpaths. Bude’s surfing beaches - Summerleaze and Crooklets - are a short drive to the west, and the dramatic clifftop walks around Stowe Barton and Morwenstow are within reach to the north. The Bude Canal towpath offers flat, easy walking from Bude inland toward Marhamchurch.