St Mary and St Julian Church, Mount Edgecumbe, Cornwall

The church of St Mary and St Julian on the boundary of Mount Edgecumbe estate at Maker in S E Cornwall, is large and impressive. Inside it has some interesting stained glass and wooden angel carvings. There has been a church here since St Julian  in about 560AD or possibly even earlier. There was a strong Celtic Christian presence in this area and the existence of St Julian's holy well nearby is another pointer to an early Celtic hermitage or prayer monastery. St Julian is most probably St Sulian who is also connected with Luxulyan in mid Cornwall. He was a Welshman who travelled with St Samson on his adventures. Whether he is the founder of this site is not actually known or whether it was another monk.

On entering the church, there is a lovely feeling of lightness and joy. Even though it is a church connected strongly to the Edgecumbe family these don't overwhelm the church and are mainly in one particular section. 

I am sitting in God's presence and it is a relief. It is beautiful and restful, quiet and enjoyable. 

Surprisingly I see six angels, human size, kneeling with heads bowed in three rows of two along the main aisle leading to the altar. It's lovely vision but I am given no understanding or asked to pray in any particular way. Today's visit was simply about being with God in a place of prayer.

On leaving the church we make the short walk through the deer park down to St Julian's well which adjoins a road. There is a stone well house, similar to many medieval ones throughout Cornwall. The spring is running freely and I can see there is clear water in the well. However, the Holy Spirit urgently cautions me not to enter the well house and I can see it is littered with pagan offerings and the smell of burning incense wafts out. Normally this isn't an issue but on seeing a large water spirit the Holy Spirit just gently tells me this is not my battle. So I leave there, happy to have had time with God in the church.