Warleggan Church
Warleggan Church - The Church of St Bartholomew - Most famous for its eccentric (not Mad) vicar, the reverend Frederick Densham 1931 - 1953, who's eccentricity led to a boycott by parishioners and caused him to preach to his dead predecessors name cards, otherwise an empty church.
It is said for over twenty years he preached to an empty church, Week after week as the service reached its conclusion, he would note poignantly in the register, “No fog, no wind, no rain, no congregation”
Needless to say, when word of the feud leaked beyond the boundaries of the tiny parish, the Rev Densham became something of an international celebrity and, by the 1950’s, his Sunday congregation was often swollen by reporters from such far away journals as the American weekly Life.
His death in 1953 was as lonely as his life had been. He died on the staircase of the vicarage where he lay undiscovered for two days. When they finally found his body, his arm was reaching for the bell rope, his last moments having evidently been spent attempting to summon the assistance of his alienated parishioners. One can only wonder at his final thoughts as he reached desperately for that bell rope knowing, perhaps, that his alienated parishioners would do little to help him.
A Celtic cross stands by the entrance to the church and The Churchyard is circular so like many of the Cornish churches with Celtic origin.
The lane leading up to the church is said to be haunted
The Font just inside the door of the church to the left
Stained window to the front of the church by the memorial Organ
Stained window above the church altar
The rear of the Church
The front of the church through the snowdrops
In 1711 after rebuilding the rectory, Daniel Baudris converted some ancient walls into a brew house, the upper storey of which was used as a lumber room. This is the building in the field to the east of the church which is known locally as the band room where, in the days when Warleggan was a mining area, Warleggan band would practise.
