page_title: Launceston, Cornwall
section_title: Places of worship
hierarchical_section_title: Launceston, Cornwall / Culture / Places of worship
caption_attribution_description: St Thomas Church
context_page_description: Launceston is a town, ancient borough, and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is 1 mile west of the middle stage of the River Tamar, which constitutes almost the entire border between Cornwall and Devon. The landscape of the town is generally steep particularly at a sharp south-western knoll topped by Launceston Castle. These gradients fall down to the River Kensey and smaller tributaries.
  The town centre itself is bypassed and is no longer physically a main thoroughfare. The A388 still runs through the town close to the centre. The town remains figuratively the "gateway to Cornwall", due to having the A30, one of the two dual carriageways into the county, pass directly next to the town. The other dual carriageway and alternative main point of entry is the A38 at Saltash over the Tamar Bridge and was completed in 1962. There are smaller points of entry to Cornwall on minor roads.
  Launceston Steam Railway narrow-gauge heritage railway runs as a tourist attraction during the summer months. It was restored for aesthetic and industrial heritage purposes and runs along a short rural route, it is popular with visitors but does not run for much of the year.
context_section_description: Three Anglican churches are in the town which has a united benefice and ecclesiastical parish covering Tregadillett three miles west, the same clergy alternating services to provide for a large attendance and operating a combined website.
  The Grade I listed church of St Mary Magdalene was built in 1511–1524 by Sir Henry Trecarrel of Trecarrel near the town as a memorial to his infant son who died whilst being bathed. The ornate carvings in granite originally carved for the mansion he began to build at Trecarrel, Lezant have withstood the test of time. The tower dates from the 14th century, an earlier church and graveyard having occupied the site. Its grand organ was presented by a member of the Morice family of Werrington Park. The donor was either Sir William Morice, 3rd Baronet (1707–1750) or his successor Humphry Morice MP (1723–1785). The casework is elaborate, "a superb example of 18th century woodwork; the 18th century pipework is also of very high quality."
  On St Stephen's Hill the main road through the north of the town is the Roman Catholic Church to Cuthbert Mayne (see #History) designed by Arthur Langdon in a blend of Byzantine and Romanesque. It was built in 1911 by local mason F H Nicholls of Lewannick, with carpentry by J H Harry, the oak doors by Mr Clifton of Ashwater, and the copper dome by T Chapman (Junior) of Launceston. The Lady Chapel was added in 1933.
caption: St Thomas's Church, St Thomas by Launceston
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