Church Of St Brevita

This parish church dates from the late 14th century, with significant additions and alterations in the mid-15th century, 19th-century restoration, and 20th-century changes. The building is constructed of granite rubble and ashlar with asbestos slate roofs and crested ridge tiles.

Architectural Development

The nave and chancel are built as one continuous space in granite rubble with granite dressings. Probably in the first half of the 15th century, the south aisle and south porch were added, and the east wall of the chancel was rebuilt. The tower dates from the later 15th century, and when it was built to the west, the north wall of the nave was reconstructed on a similar plinth. The north transept now serves as an organ chamber and vestry. The 19th-century restoration included work to the south arcade, tower arch and windows. The architecture is in the Perpendicular style.

Exterior: North Side

The nave and chancel form a single space. On the north side of the nave, west of the transept, are three bays in granite ashlar on a plinth with hollow-chamfered moulding. These feature a moulded eaves cornice and three Perpendicular-style windows with four-centred arches, all three-light with cusped heads, upper tracery and hood moulds.

The two north bays of the chancel are in rubble without a plinth, with a central blocked priest's door with a two-centred arch. To left and right are four-centred arched three-light windows, with the centre light taller with a two-centred arch and hood mould. The east gable end of the chancel has a four-light window with four-centred arch and hood mould, cusped lights and upper tracery.

The north transept is a single bay in random rubble. The north gable end has a Decorated-style window of three lights with four-centred arch, cusped lights and intersecting Y tracery. There is a weathered buttress to the west and a pointed arched 19th-century door to the east, plus a three-light window similar to those on the north side of the chancel but smaller. The rood stair turret is set in the angle between the transept and the nave, with one blocked lancet.

Exterior: South Side

The south aisle comprises six bays on a chamfered plinth, built in granite ashlar, with the porch positioned in the second bay from the west. All the south windows are three-light Perpendicular style with cusped lights, upper tracery, four-centred arches and hood moulds, with an eaves cornice.

The east gable end has raised coped verges and a cross finial, with a four-light window featuring cusped lights, Y tracery, four-centred arch and hood mould. There is a straight joint to the chancel. The west gable end also has raised coped verges and a cross finial, with a three-light window in Decorated style similar to that on the north transept, possibly re-used. A parapet wall is built up to conceal the valley to the nave. Two slate headstones are set on the wall, commemorating Hugh Littleton (1740) and Thomas Littleton (1769), with carved cherubs.

The south porch is gabled with raised coped verges and a cross finial, on a plinth with eaves cornice. The four-centred arched doorway has recessed spandrels and a hood mould, with a wave-moulded surround and 20th-century double doors. A slate sundial with gnomon, dated 1755, is set on the gable. The porch plinth is continuous with the plinth of the south aisle.

Exterior: West Tower

The west tower is built of granite ashlar in three stages on a hollow-chamfered plinth, with setback buttresses rising through two stages, stopped by corbels set under the string course. These corbels are carved with masks, lions, angels and figures holding a head. The string course at the top of the third stage has gargoyles, with an embattled parapet featuring embattled corner turrets with crocketed pinnacles and cross finials.

The 19th-century four-centred arched west doorway has quatrefoils in the spandrels and a hood mould, with a plain double door. Above is a four-light window with cusped heads, Y tracery, four-centred arch and hood mould, with two courses of relieving arch.

At the third stage are bell openings: four-light to the west and three-light to the other sides, with mullions, four-centred arches and slate louvres. The three-light openings have cusped heads.

To the east, the string course at the first stage is stepped over the gable end of the nave, with a two-light four-centred arched window above featuring slate ventilators, hood mould and relieving arch. The stair tower is set within the tower, with pierced quatrefoils and lancets to the north.

Interior

The tower arch is tall and pointed, with an arch of three wave-moulded orders, rebuilt in the 19th century, supported by five clustered granite piers on each side with moulded abaci. There is a pointed arched doorway to the north-west leading to the tower stair.

The nave and chancel have a ceiled wagon roof. The six-bay south arcade comprises two bays to the chancel and four bays to the nave, with four-centred arches supported by Cornish standard piers with quatrefoils on abaci and two hollow-chamfered orders to the arches. The nave and aisle have slate floors and plastered walls. Window reveals were rebuilt in the 19th century.

The south aisle retains 12 bays of 15th-century wagon roof to the east; other timberwork has been removed. The roof features moulded ribs and bosses, with a wall-plate partially re-carved in the 19th century. Fine bosses include a green man and a grotesque mask.

The south porch has a wagon roof with moulded ribs and bosses, reconstructed in the 19th century. The granite floor has stone benches to the sides and a holy water stoup to the right of the door. The four-centred arched granite doorway has step stops. The studded door is a refacing of an early door, with strap hinges to the inner side and a wooden lock with decorative iron facing.

The north transept is entered through a four-centred arch similar to those in the arcade but with different mouldings to the abaci. There is a blocked squint to the chancel and a four-centred arched hollow-chamfered door to the rood stair, with the lower part of a stone newel stair remaining. The transept has a ceiled wagon roof and a blocked fireplace to the north-west. An early roof may remain under plasterwork in the nave and north transept.

Fittings

In the south aisle stands a large octagonal granite font on an octagonal stem with quatrefoil panels and shields to the sides. The nave and aisle contain late 19th-century wooden pews and a pulpit. An 18th-century panelled chest is located in the nave.

In the north transept hangs a hatchment painted with a letter of thanks from Charles I "given at our camp at Sudely Castle" 10th September 1643, with a nowy head and initials CR, with finials. In the tower is a hatchment dated 1811 with verses on the laws of bellringing and primitive painting of bellringers.

Monuments

In the nave: a limestone tablet with pinnacles, frieze and cornice to Nicholas Kendall (1844).

In the chancel: a heart-shaped tablet with bay leaf surround, cornice and shield of arms above to Walter Kendall (1696), monument erected 1703 by his relict; a marble tablet on slate ground with cornice, scrolled pediment and acroterial ornaments to Anne Wynter (1835).

In the south aisle: a slate tablet with pediment on plinth and moulded corbels, with a central shield retaining ancient colour, to Nicholas Kendall (1739); a slate tablet set low on the wall with an arcade of three arches and carved borders—the left arch contains a shield of arms, the right arch bears an inscription, and the central arch has a raised carved female kneeling at a prie-dieu with a pennant from her lips inscribed "my spirit doth heaven inherit," commemorating Jane Kendall (1643); a marble tablet on slate ground to T W Kendall (1798); a fine baroque monument with slate inscription panel on moulded base with scrolled supports—the apron features a skull with crossed bones and bat wings, with modillion cornice and entablature, broken pediment with central shield and obelisk finials, to Joan Kendall (1675); a marble tablet with drapery to Penelope Kendall (1687); a marble classical monument with Ionic columns in coloured marble, cornice and entablature, broken pediment with central urn, to Mary Fletcher (died 1754, monument erected 1753); a marble tablet on slate ground to Mary Collins (1781).

Stained Glass

The chancel windows and windows in the south aisle contain stained glass from the late 19th century. The chancel east window incorporates a small coat of arms in medieval glass. One north window in the nave has a fragment of medieval blue glass.