Category Archives: Culture

St Sampson’s Update September 2026


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

Restoration of St Sampson’s Church is progressing, helping preserve a Christian presence in South Hill and ensuring the heritage building remains accessible for community use now and in the future.

We continue to hold a weekly Sunday service. Our doors are open when the building works permit . Our parish hall is home to Sampson’s Supertots, a lively weekly toddler group, providing a welcoming space for local families. In April, we hosted another  well-attended Easter trail and Easter egg hunt, and in the summer we held a children’s’ holiday club themed around Creation. We have hosted musical events, with performances by Barretts Privateers, Sam Sweeney, Aderyn String Quartet, plus the ‘Big Sing’, and a memorable Medieval Summer Fayre with a falconry display. 

Work began on the Manaton Chapel in October  and we had an exciting time with the archaeologist discovering four Manaton burial vaults, which needed to be excavated before the new floor could be built. This culminated in a wonderful and moving  memorial service and concert to re inter the disturbed Manaton remains. We are awaiting the final report, results from facial reconstruction from some of the skulls and DNA analyses.

The week of January 13th 2026 saw the exciting return of our bells after a four year absence and 50 years silence. They are now ringing out once more.  Over 50 people welcomed back the bells and were able to view them closely before they were hoisted back into the tower.

Since the start of the project we have raised an incredible £750,000 from over one hundred successful grant applications, many generous individual donations, and fundraising.

We are truly thriving in this lesser-known part of Cornwall.

2025 has been busy year and 2026 is promising to be equally busy!  Below is a summary of our plans and everything the St Sampson’s Unlocked project has achieved so far.

2026 plans

  • Manaton Chapel renovations and creation of Community Room continues – due to be completed April/May.
  • Tower roof and internal louvre weatherproofing work
  • Nave roof and ceiling replacement £190K
  • Creation of digital trail, virtual tour and church guidebooks
  • More concerts
  • Medieval Summer Fayre

Plus ongoing fundraising for the next phase: the remaining roof and ceiling works ( south aisle and chancel),  south side rainwater goods, WC facilities, kitchen, flooring and redecoration.

The ending of the Listed Places of Worship VAT reclaim scheme has left us with even more funds to find, an extra 20% on all works. Which we particularly now need to raise for the Nave roof and ceiling works scheduled for October 2026. We were told recently our ‘roof  batons are mush and slate nails are dust’,  highlighting the urgency of these upcoming 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)
  • Restoration of all thirteen windows, including stonework (2021-2023)
  • 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 Church of England faculty approval granted for roof, ceiling, WC facilities, and kitchenette, with phased work planned (2023)
  • West door restoration (2024)
  • Installation of new overhead heaters (2024)
  • East wall external masonry repairs (2024)
  • Tower stair door restoration (2024)
  • Additional lightning protection on east end (2025)
  • Rainwater goods on north side (2025)
  • Restoration of internal tower screen door (2025)
  • Tomb recess and dragon corbel repaired and restored (2025)
  • Building regulations approval for WC facilities and drainage (2025)
  • Planning approval for air source heat pump in Manaton Chapel (2025)
  • Repointing various areas of the tower (2025) see photo
  • Repair of tower roof door (2025)
  • Tower pointing and downpipe refurbishment (2025)
  • West end rainwater goods (2025)
  • Bell restoration and re-hanging (2026)

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 Charitable Trust, Jill Franklin Trust, Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, Cornwall Community Chest (Viscountess Boyd Charitable Trust), 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 Natural Beauty Sustainable Development Fund, Kingsgrove Charitable Trust, Lady Neville Charity, Lord Clinton’s Charitable Trust, Abba Charitable Trust, Ian Foulerton 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,  Miss Anna Maria Gurney Charitable Fund, Fentogollan Farm, Brags Garden Supplies, and the Woodland Trust.

We are also deeply grateful for the contributions of individual donors and  those who organise and attend our fundraising events and activities,

 

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.  If you would like to visit and chat with us about what we have achieved and our continuing progress and needs, please contact me below.

Watch this space!

Blessings,

Judith Ayers Local Lay Leader

Stsampsonssouthhill@gmail.com

Jubilee Fun Day Golberdon May 24th 2025


GOLBERDON Park Fun Day Celebrations MAY 24th 12 – 10:30pm

FREE Entry and FREE Parking … Overflow parking next to the park

From 12 Food & Drink Lic’d Bar

Vintage vehicles………… EBikes from Fully Charged Cornwall

Car Booters welcome

A range of Stalls …. Church Plants Sale.

Piecemakers TOMBOLA

Bouncy Castle

Community Treasure Chest CIC – Liskeard”s Community Recycling Hub

12:30 Motor Bikes arrive Hopefully

1pm Dog Show run by Camelot Kennels – Home of GSRE

2 – 5pm W.I Teas

3pm SHARE Solar Powered Scalextric challenge

3:30 Maypole Dancing

4pm TT Display www.facebook.com/groups/667639516580555

3 Live Bands 4:45 – 5:45pm CODE RED

6 – 7 Dale ROCKAHOLICS

7pm Break RAFFLE and announcements

7:15 – 8pm Rockaholics

8:30 – 10:30 THE METS

Raffle prizes can be dropped off at GREEN MEADOWS porch from Monday 12th … 200 meters from Golberdon crossroads on the South Hill Rd.

Please spread the word and get involved in some way, from helping to put up signs and bunting, putting out and picking up chairs, car parking stewards and lots of general help.

CELEBRATING SHARE 10 years anniversary and South Hill parish hall 60 years !!

Aderyn strings meets St. Sampson’s Giant Monk


Music for a Summer evening came to St. Sampson’s, South Hill on 24th May,2023, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of a St. Sampson’s Unlocked sponsor.  Over 50 people filled the church to hear Cardiff-based string players, the Aderyn Quartet – who met St Sampson sharing their ‘green room’.

Continue reading →

Kit Hillbillies Rock Calstock


On Friday March 4th 2022, the amazing Kit Hillbillies played at Calstock Arts, at the Old Chapel, Calstock.

A great time was had by all, and a generous collection for the UK Red Cross Ukraine appeal raised £1500.


How to describe the Kit Hillbillies?

Old-timey, good-timey bluegrass!
With rousing vocal harmonies that smuggle in occasional quirky local references.

Instrumental tasting notes: Banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar. Irresistibly tappy on the toes, with a crisp percussive finish.

Think Betty Stogs, rather than Harvey’s Bristol Cream!

In their words: “We throw in some original bluesy songs with many a knowing nod to the backwoods and badlands of Devon & Cornwall. These *usually* avoid causing offence (happily people don’t always listen to the words!). We always do some 20thC classics by the likes of Johnny Cash & Steve Earle. And like Hayseed Dixie we throw in songs by Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Clash and even Radiohead – all delivered in good-time string band style. In short, it’s the makings of a rousing, stomping night of tunes.”

South Hill Parish news


April 2024 South Hill Connection Newsletter.

In this edition:

  • Happy Easter enjoy the Egg Hunt, Trail & donkey
  • New council kerbside collection starts
  • Council Housing in the parish
  • Comedy Evening at The Parish Hall
  • St. Sampson’s Open Afternoon
  • Internet, which is the best provider?
  • Seasonal car parking ticket
  • All our local Advertisers here
April.News_Download

As well as the on line newsletter we also offer a print copy which can be delivered to you within the parish. We love your feedback and articles email to editor@south-hill  or call Ali on 07305 044049.

You can follow us on our South Hill Parish FACEBOOK Group  Where you can share posts of interest, lost cats and dogs, for sale or wanted items…

THANK YOU, AND ENJOY READING THE NEWSLETTER.

From The Connection Team

Archived newsletters (all of them!)
can be found in our public Google Drive folder – here…

Business advertisers can be found on our Local Business pageSave

Stoke Climsland Free Concert


On Saturday 25th April, the Callington Singers will be giving a free concert in Stoke Climsland Church. The concert will incorporate lots of joyful music under the general theme of the coming of summer. The programme will include Vivaldi’s Magnificat, along with some madrigals, the Hallelujah Chorus and an original setting of the Jubilate, composed by our new Musical Director, Andrew Wilson. The Callington Singers has a long tradition of making music freely accessible to the community. It is our policy to strive, wherever possible, to give concerts completely free of charge. This is not always practical, as there are many expenses to cover, such as venue hire, publicity and the fees of hired musicians. The choir rely on a retiring collection after each concert to cover these costs. We are very pleased to be working again with Stoke Climsland Parish Church. The Callington Cluster (incorporating churches in Stoke Climsland, Linkinhorne, Callington and South Hill) have the admirable policy of hiring out these churches free of charge, which makes our job of providing free music very much easier.

The free venue and delightful surroundings are not the only reason we are pleased to be performing in Stoke Climsland church again. We also enjoy performing there as an unofficial honour to an important character from Stoke Climsland’s past, who strived as we do, to provide music in his community and who would be familiar with most of the music we are to perform on this occasion; namely Thomas Calvert, gentleman of Stoke Climsland. The impressive memorial to Thomas Calvert appears prominently in the foyer of Stoke Climsland Church: In Memory of Mr Thomas Calvert Late of this parish who in the year 1746 First introduced into this Church four part Psalmody and with Indefatigable Pains and perseverance not only encouraged but in a great measure supported it with great Reputation upwards of 30 years He Was an Honest Man a Kind Master a Sincere Friend And a good Christian He departed this life at Plymouth on June 3rd 1781 in the 71st year of his Age. Although described as being ‘of the parish of Stoke Climsland’, Thomas Calvert was born in Moor Monkton, just outside of York. He was the firstborn son of Joseph and Elizabeth Calvert (née Hunter) and was baptised on the 18th August 1710. How he came to be a pillar of the Stoke Climsland community is a complete mystery. He married a local girl, but had no children. He was employed as Coroner for Cornwall in 1756 and retired from this post in 1776. He spent his last months living in St. Germans (where he made his will) and he was buried in Stoke Climsland churchyard.

His contribution to village life is undeniable. Mr. Calvert’s promotion of four part psalmody singing reflects the growing popularity, at this period, of incorporating music into church services and we owe him a debt of gratitude for the continuing tradition of choral singing which is enjoyed in this country. The ‘Indefatigable Pains and Perseverance’ which are quoted on Thomas Calvert’s memorial stone are aptly illustrated here in a transcript of an extract from the Vestry minutes of Stoke Climsland. Any modern Musical Director will doubtless recognise the inherent challenges facing him. Vestry Minutes from 28th of November 1773: A Letter was read from Mr Thomas Calvert, setting forth the disappointments he has meet [sic] with in his frequent Attendance on the Singing owing to irregularity & Refractioness of many of the numbers, and Declaring that he wou’d not think of Attending many more unless the whole Body wou’d enter into an Obligation Consisting of Several Conditions which he propos’d for the better keeping up & bringing to perfec[ti]on & carrying on with Psalmody to the promotion of Religion and Harmony [in] the Performers; Observing at the same time however that the Parishioners who were the Singers had been at much trouble in Learning & many of them were put to Inconvenience by their Attendance & moreover that few or none has Books & others in general very bad; Proposing therefore as an Encouragement & Countenance to those who wou’d enter into & sign an Association to continue & practice the singing for three years, that the Parish at Large should contribute something towards purchasing proper Books, & defraying other Expenses, in which He, Mr Calvert wou’d also contribute & Mr & Mrs Call had also promis’d. The Members of the Vestry taking the premises with Consideration & being sensible of Mr Calverts Obliging Attendance & Trouble for many years, in promoting & assisting the singing & in doing many other Beneficial Acts to the Church, Do unanimously Agree, that the sum of Six Guineas out of the Church Rates be allow’d from Xmas 1773 to Xmas 1774 to be paid to Mr Calvert by the Churchwardens & laid out by him as he judges may best promote the good order, regularity & continuation of Psalmody, provided that the singers will all enter into such a Bond as he proposes, this contribution to be for one year only at this expiration of which the Parishioners will Continue or revoke it as they See it has Promoted, or Disappointed the End Propos’d.

We sincerely hope that Thomas Calvert would approve and enjoy this upcoming concert, as we also hope you will. Stoke Climsland church will shortly undergo a major refurbishment of the church roof, which we hope will go forward without a hitch. Come and help us raise the roof before it is repaired by joining us for a splendid evening of music on 25th April at 7pm.