St Sampson’s Update September 2025


A big personal thank you for your continued support to St Sampson’s.

It is making a huge difference for the community, present and future, to maintain a Christian presence in South Hill and keep our heritage building open for all to use and enjoy, now and in the future.

Our church doors are open daily to welcome visitors, and we hold a weekly Sunday service. On the fourth Sunday we do things a bit different with a café style service. Our parish hall is home to a lively weekly toddler group, providing a welcoming space for local families. In April, we hosted a well-attended Easter trail and Easter egg hunt, followed by a summer holiday club themed around Creation. Our calendar has been brimming with musical events, including performances by Barretts Privateers, Sam Sweeney, Aderyn Baroque, The Big Sing, and a memorable Medieval summer fayre.

We have continued to raise funds and many of you will have seen the recent heroic tower pointing all done on ropes!   We were absolutely delighted to receive funding from The National Lottery Heritage fund  in August 2025 which means we can go ahead with 50% of our roof repairs and restore the bells.

We may be small, but we are definitely thriving!

St Sampson’s Unlocked Project – 2025 Roundup

So much has happened at St Sampson’s this year. Below is a summary of the St Sampson’s Unlocked project in 2025 so far, along with a reminder of previously completed works.

Previous Works

  • Relocation of Font (2020)
  • Installation of mains water supply (2020)
  • External path lighting (2020)
  • Roof valley gutter (2021)
  • Removal and storage of bells and securing the bell frame (2021)
  • Compost toilet installed in churchyard (2022)
  • Porch stonework repairs, including new stone and pointing (2023)
  • External masonry wall repairs (2023)
  • Restoration of the Michael Hill monument, now reinstated on the East wall in the Manaton Chapel (2023)
  • Full faculty approval for roof, ceiling, toilet, and kitchenette, with phased work planned (2023)
  • West door restoration (2024)
  • Installation of new overhead heaters (2024)
  • Restoration of all thirteen windows, including stonework (2021-2023)
  • East wall external masonry repairs (2024)
  • Tower stair door restoration (2024)
  • Additional lightning protection on East end (2025)
  • Rainwater goods on North Side (2024)
  • Restoration of internal tower screen door (2025)
  • Tomb recess and dragon corbel repaired and restored (May 2025)
  • Planning approval for trench arch drainage
  • Planning approval for air source heat pump in Manaton Chapel
  • Tower pointing and downpipe refurbishment (August 2025)

Works Starting Soon

  • Bell restoration and re-hanging
  • Manaton Chapel renovations
  • West end rainwater goods
  • Ongoing fundraising for the next phase: remaining roof and ceiling works, South side rainwater goods, toilet, kitchen, and flooring.

Living Churchyard

  • Interpretation board installed
  • New hedge planted along the East boundary
  • Hundreds of daffodil bulbs planted
  • Monthly volunteer working parties and a grass-cutting contractor manage this biodiverse space

Funding and Support

Our work would not be possible without the generous support of a wide range of funders, including: National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Churches Trust, Headley Trust, Cornish Historic Churches Trust, Historic England, Baker Estates, Sabrina Sutherland Charitable Trust, Doctor and Mrs Alfred Darlington, Jill Franklin Trust, Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, Cornwall Community Chest, Trefinnick Solar Fund, Church Care, All Churches Trust, Congregational and General Charitable Trust, The Wolfson Foundation, Rural Churches Repair Fund, William and Jane Morris Foundation, Beatrice Laing Family Trust, Bells Gives Back, Swire Trust, Tesco Bags of Help, Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Beauty Sustainable Development Fund, Kinsgrove Charitable Trust, Lady Neville Charity, Lord Clinton’s Charitable Trust, Abba Charitable Trust, Ian Foulterton Charitable Trust, Peoples Postcode Lottery, Funds for Mission, Penuel Trust, National Grid Electricity Distribution, Worshipful Company of Ironmongers, Buildings for Mission – Truro Diocese, The Saint Andrew Conservation Trust, Quick Wins – Truro Diocese, Benefact Trust, Sharpe Trust, Elmgrant Trust, Choral Evensong Trust, Give to Go Green, Foyle Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Aurelius Charitable Trust, Fentogollan Farm, Brags Garden Supplies, and Woodland Trust.

We are also deeply grateful for the contributions of individual donors and the proceeds from our own fundraising events, including four concerts, our medieval fayre, and plant sales.

Thank You

A sincere thank you to all our funders, large and small. This is a remarkable achievement for a small rural parish, and a true testament to our commitment to serving the South Hill community.

Watch this space!

Blessings,

Judith Ayers, Local Lay Leader

Affordable Housing in Golberdon


On 10th November 2025 a public meeting was held at the Parish Hall to discuss options for the small field next to Moorland View in Golberdon.

Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting.

Chris Sims {Community Link Officer – Tamar to Moor Community Area Partnership}, Justine Rolfe {Affordable Housing Officer} and our Cornwall Councillor, Jim Gale were able to answer some of the numerous questions asked and concerns raised.

This presentation shows the main points covered at the meeting:

Affordable Housing pptDownload

Cornwall Council owns this field, which produces very little income rented out at agricultural rates. They are proposing to sell it on the open market, unless there is an interest in the Community to use it for affordable housing.

The consensus from the meeting was that we need to know more about affordable housing and how that might be a possibility in Golberdon. The way forward and to get answers to our questions is to form an Affordable Housing Working Party which will ensure that the local community is involved in any development.

Copies of a questionnaire were handed out. Thank you to everyone who provided Justine with valuable information by answering the questions. She will very soon be providing a summary which will be posted here.

If you weren’t at the meeting, you can still complete this questionnaire and bring it to the meeting advertised below.

QUESTIONNAIRE

Around 10 people expressed an interest in being part of a Working Party. That is encouraging. If you want to help, the work won’t be on just a few people’s shoulders.

The Parish Hall has been booked for a first meeting:

Working Party , Monday December 15th at 6.00 pm.

This is a public meeting. Anyone is welcome whether you want to join in or just see what’s going on.

The first thing to decide is Terms of Reference for the Working Party. See link to draft below. Next, we will be working towards submitting a pre-application to the planning department. We can also apply for a grant which is available to explore the possibility of forming a Community-Led Housing Organisation. Hopefully we can have another meeting early next year with Simon Ryan as guest speaker. Simon is part of Three Seas, a small independent housing creator for Cornwall.

Draft Terms of Reference

St Sampsons Church Awarded £200k grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund


Securing the Future of a Historic Landmark

The congregation of St Sampson’s Church, South Hill, is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a £200,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to safeguard the future of the Grade I listed building and increase public engagement with its rich heritage.

This transformative funding will enable urgent restoration of the church’s roof and ceiling, which have suffered extensive deterioration. With 50% of the roof and ceiling now set to be repaired, the church takes a major step towards being removed from the Heritage at Risk Register.

St Sampsons Church is one of the oldest and most historically significant buildings in the region. Without this funding, its structural decline would have continued, threatening both its physical stability and the history and community stories it holds.

In addition to vital structural repairs, the grant will support the refurbishment and rehanging of the church’s ancient bells—an enduring symbol of community and tradition. A new digital trail and tower tour will also be developed, offering interactive and educational experiences for visitors and helping to share the story of St Sampsons with a wider audience.

This project reflects The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s investment principles by:
– Saving heritage: preserving a Grade I listed building and its historic bells.
– Protecting the environment: following sustainable restoration practices.
– Inclusion, access and participation: creating a digital trail and volunteer opportunities and hosting community events.
– Organisational sustainability: strengthening the church’s role as a community hub.

Church leaders, local residents, and heritage supporters are united in their gratitude for this support. This award not only preserves a cornerstone of local history but also increases engagement with the church’s remarkable legacy.

Reverend Andy Atkins, Vicar of St Sampsons Church, said:
“We are thrilled to have received this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we can now protect the future of St Sampsons Church and share its story with the wider community.”

Look out for upcoming events to view the stripped-back ceilings and follow the progress of the bells project. Visit our website for updates and opportunities to get involved.


For further information, images and interviews please contact:
Judith Ayers  judithayers@yahoo.co.uk  Phone.07748 773416 or

Miranda Lawrance-Owen mlawranceowen@icloud.com  Phone. 07595878867

Notes to editors

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past. Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.

heritagefund.org.uk

Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund

SHARE AGM Sept. 23rd 2025 7:30pm


Its been a busy year for SHARE. TAKE A LOOK at what’s be happening.

We need extra help with running the group. We could do so much more then. Otherwise we’ll just tick along and miss many opportunities.

Email SHARE@south-hill.co.uk or speak to David, Mel or Astrid

Take notes at monthly committee meetings. In person or Facetime.

Arrange visits to places of interest to the group.

Update the SHARE web page to be more engaging and less clunky.

Directors to help shape the groups future, ideally individuals with fresh ideas, leadership, organisational & management skills.

Ideas for future projects and Project manager to bring to fruition.

Liaison to improve connections with local communities by attending meetings and events.

Book keeper and a Financial Director. We may well have to pay for these services.

SHARE sponsoring classes at the Horticultural show


South Hill Horticultural Show August 16th 2025 … SHARE are sponsoring some children’s classes, so any 15’s or under take a look and maybe win the prize money. !!

The SHARE classes are:

  • 107. A model made from recycled items (max size 12”)
    • 108. A4 size poster, collage or drawing depicting
      “How can you reduce energy usage at home?”
      109. A Photo of Renewable Energy (Children < 15 years,
      photo no larger than 6 x 9” & mounted on card)

St Breward Jubilee Rock 7 mile loop July 2025


2 walks in 2 days. STARTING outside the church in ST BREWARD, we headed down to St James Holy well, and the RED TREES installation, which just opened on May 18th 2025 www.thewildcircle.co.uk/redash .

Through the farm at Coombe Mill, with deer, pigmy goats, chickens, pigs. We split our paths here. ONE group headed up then down into DE LANK quarry and up through a jungle of overgrown head height bracken, the other also went down past the quarry turbine house and up coming out at Pendrift… both arrived at Jubilee rock.

Granite from the De Lank Quarry was used for The Eddystone LightHouse 1882, the Beachy Head Lighthouse 1900 and Tower Bridge 1890. Dring this time the quarry was very prosperous and employed nearly 100 local men and women. During the WW1 the majority of the work came from making grave stones and street curbs. After WW2 cheap concrete was used for building purposes and work again slackened, despite this De Lank granite was used to construct the Karl Marx memorial 1956, the Magna Carta memorial at Runneymede 1957, a granite statue of Lord Baden-Powell 1958 and Granite from the quarry was used to build the Tamar Road Bridge. In the 60’s the quarry work flourished again and by the 1980’s up to 2500 tonnes of finished stone per year was being produced and shipped world-wide. The Hydro turbines went live in 2011, originally drills and saws were powered by compressed air now 680 litres per second generates electricity, between 300 – 400 megawatt hours per year using the original pipeline.

Jubilee Rock a 10′ by 25′ granite, is listed as a Grade II monument. In 1810. Lieutenant John Rogers to celebrate King George III’s Golden Jubilee carved this giant rock. He also engraved the coats of arms of Falmouth, Morshead, and Molesworth. Since then, the rock has been spruced up a couple of times and added, Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887 and Queen Elizabeth II’s in 2012. Read some interesting facts here > https://cornishbirdblog.com/jubilee-rock-bodmin-moor/

From here the routes took us to Delphi bridge and back to the church and pub next door. Thank you Bill for letting us make some noise on the bells and going up the tower.