Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist, Morwenstow

Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist, Morwenstow
Church from the southeast
Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist, Morwenstow Location in Cornwall
Coordinates: 50°54′33″N 4°33′16″W / 50.9093°N 4.5545°W / 50.9093; -4.5545
OS grid reference	SS 199 153
Location	Morwenstow, Cornwall
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Morwenna and St John the Baptist
History
Dedication	Morwenna, John the Baptist
Associated people	Rev. R. S. Hawker
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	9 September 1985
Architect(s)	J. P. St Aubyn (probable) Restoration
Architectural type	Church
Style	Norman, Gothic, Gothic Revival
Specifications
Materials	Rubble with granite dressings Slate roofs
Administration
Parish	Morwenstow
Deanery	Stratton
Archdeaconry	Bodmin
Diocese	Truro
Province	Canterbury
Clergy
Curate(s)	Revd Richard Ward-Smith

The Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist is the parish church of Morwenstow, north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, the most northerly parish in Cornwall. The church is dedicated to Morwenna, a local saint, and to John the Baptist, and is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Truro, the archdeaconry of Bodmin, and the deanery of Stratton. Its benefice is combined with that of St James, Kilkhampton to form the United Benefice of Kilkhampton with Morwenstow.

From 1835 to 1874 the vicar of the parish was Rev. R. S. Hawker, poet and antiquary who is credited with creating the modern form of the harvest festival church service to give thanks for a good harvest in 1842. It stands in a remote position near cliffs on the north coast of Cornwall. Amongst the tombs and gravestones in the churchyard is the preserved figurehead from a ship which was wrecked nearby.

The church is the most North parish and church in Cornwall.

Although the earliest fabric in the present church is Norman, it is believed that an earlier Saxon church stood on the site. At some time before 1291 the advowson was granted to St John's Hospital at Bridgwater by the Bishop of Exeter. In a document dated 1296, the church was referred to as an "old and well-known structure". Additions to the church were made in the 13th, 15th and 16th centuries.