All visitors to Newquay make their way to Crantock "churchtown", situated on the western side of the Gannel, a small tidal stream which is crossed by means of a plank bridge. The village of Crantock is ancient and interesting, but the great attraction of the place is the church. Less than a dozen years ago the fabric was in a ruinous condition until the vicar succeeded in raising sufficient funds with which to preserve the building. In his appeal for help, an appeal that was well responded to by the visitors to Newquay, the vicar explained that "the foundation dates from the sixth century, when the Celtic Bishop, Carantoc--or Cairnech--whose name the church bears and who was a companion of St. Patrick, first founded a religious cell here. The church became collegiate before the time of King Edward the Confessor, and continued so, with large endowment, until it was utterly despoiled, and its community scattered by King Henry VIII."
The circular font bears the date 1473, and many portions of early work, including the twelfth century walls and arches, are likewise to be seen within the building. The font, which is thought to be late Norman, bears a date cut in bold relief on the side:--
"ANNO DOMINI MILLESIMO CCCC^o Lxxiij (1473)."
There were once small columns supporting the heads still to be seen at each angle, but these have disappeared.
Mr. Arthur Salmon tells us that tradition speaks of Crantock as having been once part of a large town or district named Langarrow, or sometimes Languna, most of which now lies beneath the sand-towans. "This town is said to have had many fine churches and buildings, vying with the best cities in the Britain of that day, which seems to have been the tenth century."
Be this as it may, and there is no doubt a good deal of truth in the tradition, we do know that until comparatively recent years the now sand-choked estuary of the Gannel had a sufficient depth of water for fishing craft and coasting schooners; while old historians assure us that the channel could at one time be navigated by ships of large tonnage. It is quite possible that the "new quay" of the now fashionable watering-place owes its existence to the silting-up of the estuary that gave access to the old quay at Crantock. In Carew's _Survey of Cornwall_ reference is made to "newe Kaye, a place in the north coast of this Hundred (Pider), so called, because in former times, the neighbours attempted, to supplie the defect of nature, by art, in making there a Kay, for the Rode of shipping".