St Nicholas Church viewed from Looe bridge at high tide
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Dedicated to St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, the 4th Century Saint who is probably more famously known as Santa Claus, St. Nicholas Church, West Looe, was built sometime in the 13th or 14th centuries and has had a varied history, originally being part of the Parish of Talland. During the Commonwealth the church was desecrated and became the Guildhall of the borough of West Looe. However, during the restoration of the monarchy, in the reign of Charles II, it was again used for Divine Worship. |
The Good Samaritan window in the north aisle at St Nicholas
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Subsequently it reverted to secular use and was again used as the Guildhall and also as a prison, replete with a ‘scolding cage’.
Eventually, in the 19th Century, the building was passed to the Church Commissioners and underwent numerous modifications and restorations to its interior and exterior. In 1978 the Church of St. Nicholas, West Looe, was united with the Parish of St. Martin’s, East Looe. The Millennium brought to fruition the reinstatement of a working clock in the clock tower. The original had been removed for repairs in the early 1900’s, but unfortunately was mistakenly sold for scrap some time afterwards! |
St Nicholas Church interior
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