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THIS OBJECT IS PART OF THE PROJECT 'A HISTORY OF CORNWALL IN 100 OBJECTS'.

PENRYN MUSEUM. The two carved leaf limestone finials found in the 2003 excavation may be the work of William Joy, the architect of Exeter and Wells Cathedral. For a brief period in the early 14th century, the West Country was ahead of Europe architecturally.

As well as finials from a screen, this group of Glasney College finds includes part of an arm (perhaps a lamp bracket) also of 1320s-40s date. The largest piece and the stone with graffiti on it are early 16th century or later. Limestone for all these pieces was brought by sea from quarries at Beer in Devon.

Glasney College was founded as the western outpost of Exeter diocese which then included the whole of Cornwall. Like Exeter it was run by a provost and twelve canons and later gained a reputation as a centre for Cornish literature and plays. Its church dominated Penryn for almost 300 years until abolished by King Edward VI.

Photo: Bernie Pettersen