Church Of St Symphorian

Church of St Symphorian, Forrabury

This parish church has Norman origins, with possibly 12th-century masonry surviving in the south wall of the nave and possibly in the south transept. The church is constructed of slate stone rubble with a slate roof, and the nave and chancel form a single unit under the same roofline.

The plan, as recorded by Maclean before restoration, was cruciform, comprising a Norman nave, chancel and south transept with an Early English north transept. A 12th-century font in greenstone survives, with a round bowl ornamented with incised lines, though the unlined bowl may have been recarved in modern times. The west tower probably dates from around the 15th century, while the early 16th-century south porch was likely rebuilt at the same period. The tower was largely rebuilt around 1760 and the roof was blown off by a severe gale in 1842.

Extensive restoration was carried out in 1866–67 by J. P. St Aubyn, which considerably hindered accurate chronological analysis of the building. During this restoration the north transept was largely rebuilt and extended westward to form a three-bay north aisle; a vestry was added to the east of the south transept; and the church was refenestrated, re-roofed and refurnished.

The west tower has two stages, with the upper stage rebuilt around 1760. It features a three-light west window with 19th-century tracery in two-centred arched openings, replacing the original west door, and belfry openings with slate louvers on the south and east sides, beneath a crudely battlemented parapet. The north aisle is lit by 19th-century two-light Perpendicular windows with two-centred arched openings. The chancel's north wall was partly rebuilt in the 20th century and now has 19th-century Perpendicular tracery in a three-light east window and a two-light rectangular window with 19th-century tracery on the south side. The south transept and nave have 19th-century Perpendicular tracery in one-, two- and three-light windows. The gabled early 16th-century south porch is roofed with two large granite slabs that include the coping and features a moulded two-centred arched opening with pyramid stops. A depressed two-centred moulded greenstone arch frames the south door.

The interior has 19th-century scissor-braced roofing to the nave and north aisle and a plastered 19th-century waggon roof to the chancel. A three-bay arcade with squat columns and large square capitals supports depressed two-centred arcade arches with chamfer, while a round arch connects to the south transept. The 19th-century furnishings replaced elaborate carved bench ends and a rood screen described by Maclean before restoration. Remains of 15th- or early 16th-century bench ends have been reset to form the altar, credence table and pulpit. Chancel panelling, altar rails and screen date from around 1911. A 17th-century altar table stands in the north aisle.

Several memorials survive, including those to Johan, wife of John Tubb (1644) and their son John (1647), and to William Cole (1839). A number of 17th- and 18th-century ledger stones are fixed to and lying against the exterior of the church, including one to Katherin Gaurd (1675) with verse.

The Church of Forrabury, together with its lands, tithes and fisheries, was granted by Richard I to Hartland Abbey. The church is commemorated in Rev. R. S. Hawker's poem "The Silent Tower of Bottreaux". The church stands as an especially impressive landmark, set within the context of Forrabury Common to the north, which is marked by post-medieval stripfields covering 80 acres—probably the best preserved example in the county, with 40 of the original 60 strips remaining and representing one of only two examples of walled agricultural terraces in southern Britain.