Ruan Lanihorne

Cornwall Information & Accommodation Guide

Ruan Lanihorne, in Cornish, Laryhorn, is a parish and village tucked away in quiet countryside in an Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) between two rivers - the Fal and Ruan.

The parish has large areas of woodland and river valleys that provide an excellent habitat for wildlife, particularly waders and waterfowl.

The parish church is dedicated to St Rumonus (Rumon) in 1321. It is built of grey slate in the Gothic style and consists of a chancel and nave, a north aisle, and a south transept. The font dates from the 14th century It has a single-stage tower built during the 1300s with a ring of two bells. The south wall, adjacent to the porch is possibly Norman. The north aisle was added around 1500. The feast day is celebrated on the last Sunday in August. The Rev John Whitaker, author of The Cathedral of Cornwall, was Rector of Ruan Lanihorne for thirty years between 1778 and 1808.

The remains of the holy well of St Rumon can be found in a field near the church. Water flows down onto the road.

Other settlements within the parish include Ruan High Lanes and Treworga.

In the 1100s, the Lercedekne family built a castle here, an adulterine castle, so named because it was built without royal permission. Almost two centuries later, in 1334, Edward III granted John Lercedekne a licence for crenallating the castle. It had eight towers, a round keep, a cellar that served as a dungeon and its own brewery. A human skeleton was discovered here about 1750. During the 19th century the castle was demolished.

Early in its history the main settlement was at Sheepstor (Sheepstall). The parish has also been known as Larihorn, Lanyhorn, Shepestall, Lanihorn, Ruan Lanhyhorne, Ruanlanihorne
Ruanlanyhorne, St Ruan Lanyhorne, Larihorne, Laryhorne, Larihorn, Lanyhorne, Saynt Ruan in Roslande, Ruan Lanyhorne and Rewan Lanihorne

Today, the churchtown is a quiet place but it was formerly a bustling place with the coach road from London to Penzance passing through it.

In the 1800s, the river here used to be navigable. The channel was dredged with the silt unloaded and used for making bricks at nearby Trelonk.

A ferry service operated here for travel from the Roseland to Truro.

Today Sett Bridge crosses the Fal River.

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