St Allen Parish Church is a rural church sitting in the Cornish countryside by the St Allen River streams that lead out to Truro City and the River Fal. The name St Allen is most probably from that of a local Celtic Saint, (Allen, Alunnus, Allune, and Alleyne) The feast day of St Allen is Rogation Sunday but nowadays kept on the 22nd February. The church is associated with the church in Quimper, North West France which is also dedicated to St Allen. Three Celtic crosses stand in the Church yard but most probably have been moved for safe keeping as they once might have marked the way to the Church or like one was found to be reused as the door step to a local farmhouse at Trefronick. At the time of the Norman conquest, St Allen was part of the great Manor of Cargoll with its capital at St Newlyn East. The manor, originally the property of the monks of St Petroc's at Bodmin is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Robert, Count of Mortain, and the half brother of William the Conqueror sold or gave the land to one of his barons Reginald de Valle Torta, Lord of Trematon Castle. The 12th century church was most probably built then by a member of the de Valle Torta family. It was a much small building then with chancel and nave - a blocked up Norman doorway in the north wall points to this earlier building. In 1269 the Manor of Cargoll was purchased from the de Valle Torta family by Bishop Bronescombe who then established his capital at Lanner Barton which is just over the hill . He later planted Bishops Wood that extends one mile south into the village of Idless and is still a popular green public woodland area. At this time from 1269 - 1328 the grand Bishops of Exeter made frequent visits to Lanner Barton with some 18 persons being ordained there and the Church has a much higher profile. By 1538 the Bishops had moved on and the Barton was let to tenant farmers. There is still a strong weekly congregation with Sunday Services, Christmas, Easter and Harvest Festivals. A large car park supports weddings, baptisms and funerals and the occasional arts and charity event. A visit is well recommended with a good few things to see ( far more than this page can detail! So, look out for the Stained glass window of St Peter dedicated in the memory of the Lanyon family and other windows remember the Vincent and Sampson families who are still in the area. The font has a wooden cover made at the time of the Restoration. The Organ survives from the Methodist Chapel in the parish's only village at Zelah and was moved with the closing of that chapel in 1992. Also, the Norman tower with its pointed turret and arrow slits with 3 bells one mediaeval. The idyllic graveyard notes substantive stones with names of locals who died during conflicts and mining disasters as well as illness and disease whilst across the road the modern burial area is a tranquil and lovely sunny spot. A visitors book shows visitors from coming from around the world.
