Next month archaeologists are to start excavating the remains of a 6th century church which is thought to be Britain's oldest place of Christian worship.
St Piran's Oratory, near Perranporth, on the north coast of Cornwall (England's most southerly and most westerly county), has been encased in a concrete shell since 1910 to protect it from the elements.
But archaeolgists have been given permission to remove the shell so that they can start excavations.
According to legend, St Piran, the patron saint of tin miners and Cornwall, built the chapel and 'rediscovered' tin smelting and forged a white tin cross in a fire which went on to become the symbol of Cornwall.
Cornwall was once renowned around Europe, and later the world, for its tin. For millennia tin was mined in Cornwall and other areas of England's South West and exported to lands near and far, until the last Cornish tin mine was closed in 1998. The Ancient Greeks called Britain the Cassiterides (the Tin Isles).
Engulfed by sand in the Middle Ages, the remains of the oratory were first discovered in the late 18th Century.
There were two major digs in 1835 and 1843 that uncovered a number of skeletons - including one of a large, headless man.
However, the remains were buried and encased in a large bunker in 1910 to protect them.
James Gossip, an archaeologist at Cornwall County Council, added: 'This is a very important site and it will be amazing to see what is under the sand.'
Britain's oldest chapel to be excavated: Archaeologists to explore sixth century Cornish church 'built by St Piran'
St Piran's Oratory near Perranporth, Cornwall, has been encased in a concrete shell for three decades to protect it from the elements
According to legend, St Piran, patron saint of tinners, built a chapel and forged a white cross in a fire which became the symbol of Cornwall
By Daily Mail Reporter
15 January 2014
Daily Mail
Daily Mail
Archaeologists are set to excavate the buried remains of a sixth century chapel - which could be Britain's oldest place of Christian worship.
St Piran's Oratory near Perranporth, Cornwall, has been encased in a concrete shell for decades to protect it from the elements.
But experts have finally been granted permission to remove the casing so they can begin excavating and preserving the medieval site.
St Piran's Oratory is pictured in its protective shell in 1955. James Gossip, an archaeologist at Cornwall Council, said: 'This is a very important site and it will be amazing to see what is under the sand'
According to legend, St Piran, the patron saint of tinners, built the chapel and forged a white cross in a fire which went on to become the symbol of Cornwall.
Engulfed by sand in the Middle Ages, the remains of the oratory were first discovered in the late 18th Century.
There were two major digs in 1835 and 1843 that uncovered a number of skeletons - including one of large, headless man.
However, the remains were buried and encased in a large bunker in 1910 to protect them.
The shell was further reinforced in 1980 but now the St Piran's Trust has finally convinced authorities to let archaeologists tear down the concrete and explore the site.
Saint Piran was an early 6th-century Cornish abbot and saint from Ireland.
St Piran's Oratory in pictured in 1910. Excavation work took place at the time for the building of its protective shell, that would shield it from the elements
There were two major digs in 1835 and 1843 that uncovered a number of skeletons (one is pictured) - including one of large headless man
Legend has it that the heathen Irish tied him to a mill-stone, rolled it over the edge of a cliff into a tempestuous sea, which immediately became calm.
He then floated safely over the sea to land upon the sandy beach of Perranzabuloe in Cornwall.
He was joined at Perranzabuloe by many of his Christian converts and together they founded the Abbey of Lanpiran, with Piran as abbot.
Ian Saltern, of the trust, said: 'We are uncovering more than a building here. It is a cultural site of enormous importance. It is intricately tied to the history of Cornwall.'
James Gossip, an archaeologist at Cornwall County Council, added: 'This is a very important site and it will be amazing to see what is under the sand.'
The excavation is due to begin in February.
According to legend, St Piran, the patron saint of tinners, built the chapel (ruins pictured in 1910) and forged a white tin cross in a fire which went on to become the symbol of Cornwall
WHO WAS ST PIRAN?
Saint Piran was an early 6th-century Cornish abbot and saint from Ireland.
He is the patron saint of tin-miners and the patron saint of Cornwall.
Legend has it that the heathen Irish tied him to a mill-stone, rolled it over the edge of a cliff into a tempestuous sea, which suddenly became calm.
He then floated safely over the sea to land upon the sandy beach of Perranzabuloe in Cornwall.
He was joined at Perranzabuloe by many of his Christian converts and together they founded the Abbey of Lanpiran, with Piran as abbot.
Saint Piran 'rediscovered' tin smelting - tin had been smelted in Cornwall since before the Romans' arrival, but the methods had since been forgotten - when his black hearthstone, a slab of tin-bearing ore, had the tin smelt out of it and rise to the top in the form of a white cross.
This white cross then came to be the symbol of Cornwall.
He was joined at Perranzabuloe by many of his Christian converts and together they founded the Abbey of Lanpiran, with Piran as abbot.
Saint Piran 'rediscovered' tin smelting - tin had been smelted in Cornwall since before the Romans' arrival, but the methods had since been forgotten - when his black hearthstone, a slab of tin-bearing ore, had the tin smelt out of it and rise to the top in the form of a white cross.
This white cross then came to be the symbol of Cornwall.
St Piran's Cross, a white cross (representing white flowing tin) on a black background (probably representing the black tin ore), is the flag of Cornwall
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