Church Of St Clarus

A parish church of Norman origin, with substantial rebuilding in the early 15th century, further additions in the late 15th century, and significant 19th-century restoration. The building is constructed from granite rubble with granite dressings, while the tower is built in granite ashlar. The roofs are slate with ridge tiles, featuring crested ridge tiles over the nave and chancel.

Plan and Layout

The church plan consists of a nave and chancel with north arcade and north aisle, probably dating to the early 15th century. The north aisle retains one surviving Norman north door. The later 15th century saw the addition of a south aisle and south porch, along with the construction of the west tower. The church exemplifies the Perpendicular style.

Exterior

The nave is enclosed by the flanking aisles. The chancel projects as an open bay and features a 4-light east window with cusped lights and Y-tracery, set within a 4-centred arch with hood mould.

A south priest's door has a 4-centred arched chamfered surround. The north aisle has a plain chamfered plinth and weathered buttresses across 5 bays, each containing a 3-light window with cusped lights and Perpendicular tracery set with flat heads. The second bay from the west contains a Norman doorway with one order of colonnettes and a zig-zag outer voussoir, though this has been replaced with a 19th-century plain door. A 3-light west window has 3-centred arched heads set within a 4-centred arch with hood mould. A small single-storey boiler room is attached in the angle with the tower. The 4-light east window has a 4-centred arched head and hood mould, dating to 19th-century restoration.

The south aisle stands on a moulded plinth and comprises 5 bays with weathered and angle buttresses. The western bay contains the porch. The south elevation has four 3-light windows of 19th-century date with ogee lights, 4-centred arched heads and hood moulds, alongside a similar 3-light window to the west and a 4-light window to the east.

The south porch stands on a moulded plinth with weathered angle buttresses. The outer doorway has a 4-centred arch with 2 hollow mouldings and relieving arch. Two slate tablets are attached to the east wall of the porch, commemorating Jane Hender (1801) and Samuel Hender (1797). The interior of the porch is spanned by a late 15th-century wagon roof with central carved boss, with a granite paved floor and granite benches to the sides. The inner doorway has a 4-centred arch with 2 narrow hollow mouldings, step stops and relieving arch, fitted with 19th-century double doors with strap hinges. A 4-centred arched image niche is positioned above the door.

The west tower is constructed in 3 stages with moulded plinth, moulded string courses, and set-back buttresses with clasping pinnacles at each stage. An embattled parapet features crocketed pinnacles and cross finials. The west doorway has a 4-centred arch with roll-mouldings, recessed spandrels containing quatrefoils, hood mould, and a 19th-century door with strap hinges. Above this is a 4-light window with Y-tracery, 4-centred arch and hood mould. The second stage has clock faces to the south and north. The third stage contains 3-light bell-openings with slate louvres, 4-centred arches and hood moulds.

Interior

The church interior has a slate floor with plastered walls. The nave and aisles are spanned by a 15th-century ceiled wagon roof with moulded ribs and carved bosses, while the aisles feature moulded stone wall-plates on their outer walls. The chancel has a 19th-century wagon roof with angel corbels and a 19th-century carved wooden chancel arch with angel corbels, along with a 19th-century wooden rood-screen. A tall 4-centred tower arch has Pevsner A-type piers to its sides, with a framed ceiling to the tower.

The north arcade comprises 5 bays of octagonal granite piers with chamfered abaci, separated by 4-centred arches with hollow-chamfered mouldings. The north doorway has a 4-centred arched head with fleuron carving and chamfered jambs. At the east end is a squint to the chancel, with an irregular carved niche below it.

The south arcade has 5 bays in blue elvan, with piers featuring a fillet on each side of the hollow moulding, carved abaci, and 4-centred moulded arches. At the east end stands a tall 4-centred arched piscina, and a round-arched holy water stoup is located by the south door.

The chancel has a black and white marble floor. A chamfered aumbry is positioned to the north, with a cusped piscina and hood mould to the south. The squint on the chancel side has a chamfered surround.

Fittings and Furnishings

The church contains 19th-century carved wooden pews and pulpit. A 13th-century Purbeck table-top font occupies the nave, featuring flat pointed blank niches on each side. Royal arms of Queen Anne, dated 1708 and executed in oil on board, are displayed in the south aisle within a bolection-moulded frame. 18th-century dado panelling lines the nave and aisles. Five painted texts in oil on board, dating circa 1708, are mounted in bolection-moulded frames in the north and south aisles. Early 18th-century texts in trompe l'oeil ovals total 13 examples throughout the nave and aisles. A painted coat of arms in oil on board is displayed in the north door. A 16th-century stocks and 19th-century plough are located in the north aisle. A board bearing painted Ringers' Articles, probably from the early 19th century, hangs in the nave.

Monuments

The chancel contains a marble tablet on slate ground commemorating John Jope (1844), and another marble tablet on slate ground with gilded decoration and Latin inscription, also to John Jope (1815). The north aisle holds a marble tablet on slate ground with draped urn and swags, erected in 1804 to Nicholas Connock by Isbell of Plymouth, alongside 17th and 18th-century ledger stones. The south aisle features a chest tomb with fine carved slate lid bearing 2 pairs of figures and emblems of death, commemorating Robert Langeford (1614).