The Mermaid of Zennor

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Because it is sandy and very dog-friendly, there are numerous opportunities to take your pooch on the beach all year. Although there is no lifeguard at the beach, there are signs that warn of the dangers of rip currents. Is Zennor A Town? For centuries, a church dedicated to St. Senara has stood in the village of Zennor in Cornwall. The stone structure was built between the 13th and 15th centuries, and includes a tower and a small graveyard. Inside, visitors can find one of the most intriguing features: a bench-end with carvings of fish on the seat and a woman admiring herself in a mirror; this is the “Mermaid Chair.”

She took some notice of a fine young man, called Mathey Trewella, who was the best singer in the parish. He once followed her, but he never returned; after that she was never more seen in Zennor Church, and it might not have been known to this day who or what she was but for the merest accident. In the churchyard are a pair of Celtic crosses and a cross head on a rough plinth. On the south wall is a sundial dated to 1737 decorated with crossed bones, (for death), and an angel head and wings (for immortality). There are three Cornish crosses in the parish: one is in the vicarage garden and two are in the churchyard. Those in the churchyard are fixed on the tombstone of the Rev. William Borlase, Vicar of Zennor (died 1888). [15] I’m not the only one endlessly fascinated by the story – since Cornish folklorist William Bottrell first recorded the mermaid’s tale/tail in 1873 there have been constant homages to the legend, from operas to poems and indie pop and folk songs. Five or six times this unknown lady came to Zennor church, always on a fine day, and always she sat far apart from the congregation, watching Mathy and listening to every note he sang. Her eyes seemed to look right through him, and her gaze somehow reminded him of the dim light in caves under sea. He determined that somehow he would find out who she was.Zennor folks tell the following story, which, according to them, accounts for a singular carving on a bench-end in their Church. Hundreds of years ago a very beautiful and richly attired lady attended service in Zennor Church occasionally—now and then she went to Morvah also; —her visits were by no means regular, —often long intervals would elapse between them. Others claim that on a summer’s evening, you can sometimes hear singing coming from the cave, believed to be the two lovers singing while the waves crash in. See my Cornwall Mining History and its Future post for more information on Cornwall’s mining history. Visit one of the nearby coves

Zennor does not have a beach. The nearest beach is in St. Ives, about 4 miles away. Dogs Enjoy The Beach Too!her, she continued to look so young and fair. No one knew whence she came nor whither she went; yet many watched her as far as they could see from Tregarthen Hill. The Mermaid of Zennor story centres on St Senara’s Church in the village, which is worth a visit in its own right. The legend lives on – one of Cornwall’s most famous literary sons, Charles Causley wrote the poem, The Mermaid of Zennor, and everyone from Brenda Wootton and Seth Lakeman to Martha Tilston and Hazel Simmons have sung folk versions of the tale. British writer Helen Dunmore was inspired in part by the Mermaid of Zennor when writing her Ingo Chronicles. The first book of the series, Ingo, published in 2005, begins with the story of the mermaid and the main story line is loosely based around the legend. Some of the people in the town thought it was a mermaid who had taken Mathew Trewella, all those years ago, and the captain didn’t like how this creature looked.