Marhamchurch combines village history with traces of canal engineering and several walking routes that follow different paths. St Marwenne Church, the Marhamchurch Inclined Plane and the Revel tradition offer different points of interest. If you are looking for accommodation in Marhamchurch, first consider whether architectural history, local festival traditions or time outdoors are especially important to your trip.
Church, Architectural History and the Revel
St Marwenne Church stands on the hill in the centre of Marhamchurch and is dedicated to Saint Marwenne. Its features from two centuries can be distinguished: the lower section of the tower, the chancel and the transept date from the 14th century; the upper tower stages, the north aisle and the porch date from the 15th century. Before your trip, check whether an interior visit is currently possible and what the opening hours are.
The Rectory in Marhamchurch also displays different building phases: the extension at the front dates from the 1830s, while an older structure is incorporated at the rear and on the right. Rosamund Cottage, believed to be of medieval origin, stands by the village green. Together, these buildings provide different points of reference in time: from the church features of the 14th and 15th centuries, to the extension from the 1830s, to the Cottage's merely presumed medieval origins.
The Marhamchurch Revel takes place on the Monday after the feast of Saint Marwenne, which falls on 12 August. In the procession, the Revel Queen leads on a white horse; it ends at Revel Field. If you would like to plan your trip around the Revel, check the exact date in advance. This lets you tie your visit to the festival calendar rather than to just any day in August.
Traces of the Bude Canal
The Marhamchurch Inclined Plane was the first inclined plane on the Bude Canal. It had a rise of 120 feet, was 836 feet long and was powered by a waterwheel. The site also had a large underground-built waterwheel. The dimensions give a concrete impression of the structure; its status as the first inclined plane on the canal is another point of reference for local engineering history.
Another point of reference is the two-mile stretch of the Bude Canal between the Sea Lock and Hele Bridge, which extends as far as Marhamchurch. The individual inclined plane and the longer canal stretch can thus be considered as different aspects of canal history: one is a structure with recorded measurements, the other a route with named endpoints.
Walking Routes and Landscape
The Whalesborough Farm–Hele Valley Walk follows sections of the historic Bude Canal, passes through the Hele Valley alongside the River Strat and runs through Marhamchurch. The Planekeepers Path is waymarked and 10 miles (16 km) long. It follows the canal from Bude inland and returns via land through Stratton. The routes therefore differ both in their landscape features and in the specific route information provided: the Planekeepers Path has a stated length, while the Whalesborough Farm–Hele Valley Walk is described by its canal, valley, river and Marhamchurch sections.
The Hele Valley Trail at Pinch Bridge lies north of Marhamchurch. This permitted public riverside walking route passes through fields and newly planted woodland. Unlike the two routes mentioned above, the focus here is on the riverside path and the surrounding landscape. Across the wider parish of Marhamchurch, the landscape is varied, rolling and predominantly rural, with farmland, woods, streams and river meadows.
Discover more destinations: Constantine, Porthleven, Tresmeer, Redruth, North Hill, Blisland, Torpoint, Bude.
For the broader travel overview: Cornwall.
