Discover Phillack

If you’re looking for a hotel in Phillack, you can also get a sense of the place through its historical landmarks: an early Christian memorial stone bears an inscription, and a medieval wayside cross tells of several past uses. Other landmarks include Mexico Cross on the slope north of Copperhouse Pool and the Clapper Bridge, built in 1812. Phillack lies half a mile inland, beyond the dunes of Hayle Towans Beach.

Early Christian traces in the churchyard

The early Christian memorial stone in Phillack churchyard bears the inscription “CLOTUALI MOBRATTI”. This is translated as “the stone of Clotualus, son of Mobrattus”. The inscription gives the stone a personal historical connection; its reuse also reflects the churchyard’s continuous use as a burial ground from the 8th century to the present day.

The memorial stone is part of a monument designated as a Scheduled Monument. Another notable feature of the churchyard is the well-preserved churchyard cross south of the church: it is intricately decorated and has four openings. The inscription and the cross’s design offer different points of interest if you’re interested in Phillack’s early Christian and medieval heritage.

Medieval crosses and their history

A medieval wayside cross survives as an upright granite shaft with a round wheel-cross head. Its history includes several uses: it was first used as a gatepost at the entrance to Bodriggy Farm, 0.75 km south of Phillack church. In the late 19th century, it became a gatepost at the entrance to the schoolyard in Phillack. In 1910, it was moved to the churchyard. This sequence shows how the use of the same cross changed across different local contexts.

Mexico Cross is another medieval wayside cross. It stands at a field corner on the crest of the slope rising north from Copperhouse Pool. The pool is the broad, shallow eastern arm of the Hayle Estuary in western Cornwall. Mexico Cross has a rounded wheel-cross head; a cross with equal arms in low relief can be seen on its southwest side. The cross’s form and location connect it in a distinctive way with the landscape around the estuary.

Mexico Cross’s former location lay on the general line of a route through the Towans, the sand dunes. It ran southwest from Gwithian church to the crossing of the Hayle Estuary at Lelant.

Bridge and routes in the area

The Clapper Bridge spans the Loggans Mill Leat. Reverend William Hockin Senior, the rector of Phillack, had it built in 1812. In the area around Phillack, the King George V Memorial Walk is also a useful landmark for routes: the circular walk is 2 miles (3 km) long and follows level asphalt or firm gravel. If you plan to include it in your itinerary, check current path conditions beforehand.

The historical route description for the “Dynamite” line also has a particular connection to Phillack. Section three begins at the Recreation Ground, probably at the point closest to the site of the Phillack Road Level Crossing. From there, the section follows Leathlean Lane towards the Towans. As the route description covers a historical route and conditions can change, check the current situation before planning to walk it.

Discover more destinations: Trelash, Penhallow, Withiel, Stithians, Rock, Saint Neot, Saint Newlyn East, Trewarmett.

For the broader travel overview: Cornwall.