Where Ancient Stone Meets the Wildness of Bodmin Moor

We visited Altarnun on a lovely early summer afternoon.  In a sheltered valley on the eastern edge of Bodmin Moor, Altarnun is often described as one of Cornwall’s most picturesque hidden gems.  The village displays a typical English pastoral scene: a medieval bridge arching over the clear waters of the River Inny, surrounded by grey-stone cottages, a magnificent church and glimpses of the silhouettes of nearby tors.

The Cathedral of the Moors

The undisputed crown jewel of the village, however, is the Church of St Nonna. Known affectionately as the “Cathedral of the Moors,” its soaring 15th-century tower dominates the skyline, built from massive blocks of local granite.

Inside, the church is a treasure trove for the historically minded, with a world-famous collection of seventy-nine intricately carved bench ends dating back to the early 16th century. We have been in a fair number of old ecclesiastical buildings but we’ve never seen anything like them. These carvings give a rare, tactile glimpse into the Tudor imagination, depicting everything from local sheep and fiddlers to heraldic symbols, all preserved in the quiet atmosphere of one of the West Country’s finest ecclesiastical sites. There’s even one where the carpenter carved his name and other details