When we last visited the church of St Keyne and St Martin, we found it closed: only open ‘9-5 on weekdays between April and September when volunteers are in attendance’. This time we were lucky.

It is easily found alongside the main easterly road into East Looe. It is probably invisible from the sea and thus safely hidden from the coast and any marauding pirates. This was the mother church of those in Looe which offered an altogether more tempting prospect to raiders.

The glory, according to the books, is the Norman doorway, one of the best in Cornwall (Pevsner). It is certainly impressive, but sadly overshadowed by the later porch which protects it from rain but over-dominates.

Inside, the church is wide and light, with the usual lopsided feeling of a two aisled space.

Very striking as you enter by the north door, is the war carved wooden memorial, one of several pieces of carved wood in the church. On the west side, there is an image of a fallen soldier ‘The Supreme Sacrifice’ while on the east there is a list of the fallen.

On the back of an adjacent pew, five panels give an idealised view of ‘Your Works’ with illustrations of Motherhood, The Arts, Teaching and Caring.

Above, a fine wooden wagon roof, whose wood has been dated between 1453-1478, has been sensitively restored.

The font is of a simple Norman design with stylised petals, surmounted by the inevitable carved figure.

At the east end are two notable monuments. In the sanctuary is a slate table tomb of Philip Mayow d1590 while, what passes for a vestry/storeroom, behind the south aisle altar is a grandiose monument to Walter (and Rhoda) Langdon d1667.

One rather curious feature that we could not decipher was a small squint between the south aisle and nave which faced the wrong way. It may disguise the remains of an old rood stair.