Church of the Storms

The Church of St Winwaloe at Gunwalloe Church Cove in Cornwall is named for Winwaloe or Winwallus, a fifth century Breton cleric who founded and served as the first abbot of Landevennec Abbey in Brittany. It is likely that his successor Gwenhael set up churches in England and Wales to honour his predecessor’s elevation to the sainthood. Clive Gunnell looks at the history of the Grade I listed church known as church of the storms with the vicar of the parish Reverend Marshall.

A church has been sited here since the sixth century and it is the only church on a beach in Cornwall. The detached bell tower contains three mediaeval bells which were recast in 1926. The church came under the king's manor at Winnianton after the Norman Conquest of 1066 and was granted to William the Conqueror’s half-brother, Robert, Count of Mortain and 2nd Earl of Cornwall. Winnianton is built around the prehistoric site of Castle Mound. The 2015 TV series and the original 1975 TV series Poldark are based on the novels of Winston Graham and contain scenes filmed at Church Cove, possibly inspired by true shipwrecks of the Portuguese carrack Santo Antonio in 1527 at Dollar Cove and HMS Anson in 1807 at Loe Bar.