St. Eval Church near Newquay in Cornwall

The church is located in an isolated position on the edge of what was RAF St. Eval, an airfield used by the RAF Coastal Command in World War Two and for some years after.

The church has a history that long precedes the arrival of the airfield. The earliest parts of the building date back to the Norman era but, like most parish churches, has been much rebuilt over the centuries.

Being on the old airfield’s perimeter, now home to a forest of radio masts, the church has a close military linkage. Indeed, it is the last survivor of the St. Eval village buildings that were torn down to make way for the airfield when the land was compulsory purchased in 1938.

Military Graves

Marked by Commonwealth War Grave Commission stones, the graveyard is the last resting place of 23 World War Two service personnel and a number of further private and MOD marked graves for those lost in the years since WW2.

The 1989 RAF Window

The East Window in The Lady Chapel was dedicated on 1st October 1989 to the memory of all who served at RAF St. Eval from 1939 to 1945.

The design references Psalm 130 “De Profundis Clemavi” – “Out of the depths I have cried to Thee O Lord”. In the centre is the RAF’s motto “Per Ardua ad Astra” – “Through Adversity To The Stars”.

The base of the window represents the storm tossed seas around Cornwall and, superimposed on them, are the insignia of RAF Coastal Command and RAF St. Eval.

RAF Squadron Badges

There are two groups of predominately RAF Squadron Badges, one group on the Western wall and the other group on the Northern wall, which showcase the strong RAF connections of the church. From high in the rafters, the last RAF standard to be flown at RAF St. Eval is held in trust along with the standard of the local Royal British Legion.

Western Wall
Northern Wall

Points of Interest

The King Charles I Coat of Arms
The Organ
Stained Glass

Inside St. Eval Church

The North Aisle looking West
The North Aisle looking East
The South Aisle looking West
The South Aisle looking East from the entrance


Interior 360 Degree Virtual Tours Inside St. Eval Church

Using The 360 Virtual Tours

Click and drag the images, just like Google Street View, to see from any angle.

North Aisle, East End; Altar and Organ
The North Aisle, West End
North Aisle, Centre
The South Aisle, West End
The South Aisle, Centre; Entrance Door


Exterior 360 Degree Virtual Tours Inside St. Eval Church

Using The 360 Virtual Tours

Click and drag the images, just like Google Street View, to see from any angle.

From the North West
From the South West
From the Eastern End


Photo Technical

Tilt and Shift

You’ll see that the vertical lines in some of the pictures are mostly straight up and down. These were straightened by using the shift function of a Canon 24mm TS-E Tilt and Shift lens.

The 360 Degree Virtual Tours

Take on a GoPro 360 Max camera hand held above my head.


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