Church Of St Brueredus

Church of St Brueredus, St Breward

A parish church dedicated to St Brueredus with Norman origins and later medieval development. The church has a complex building history: it began as a Norman structure, possibly of cruciform plan, and was partly altered during the tenure of William Briuere, Bishop of Exeter (1224-1245), when the fenestration was changed. A five-bay south aisle was added in the 15th century, likely contemporary with the south porch and west tower. The church was dedicated in 1278 and underwent significant restoration in 1863-64 by J P St Aubyn, during which the north aisle was partly rebuilt.

Exterior

The church is constructed of varied materials: granite ashlar for the south porch and south aisle, stone rubble for the north wall with an ashlar north transept featuring a straight joint suggesting a later widening to the north, stone rubble for the east chancel wall with a distinct batter, and granite ashlar for the west tower.

The unbuttressed west tower rises in three stages with moulded plinth, strings, and a battlemented parapet with crocketted finials. A recessed west door has a two-centred arched opening with carved heads forming stops. The west window is a renewed 19th-century Perpendicular design. Three-light belfry openings feature slate fenestration.

The north aisle retains circa 13th-century two-light windows with cusped heads, and the north transept has a circa 13th-century window. The chancel window was replaced by J P Aubyn. The south aisle displays complete circa 15th-century Perpendicular tracery. The south porch entrance is a two-centred arch with a sundial above, dated and signed 1792 by T Symons.

Interior

The church has 19th-century arch-braced roofs to the nave, chancel, and north aisle. The south aisle retains its original circa 15th-century waggon roof.

The six-bay north arcade features five restored Norman piers of varying size and design, constructed from granite and Caen stone. The five-bay south arcade contains type A piers (as defined by Pevsner), with an engaged western pier displaying multiple moulded shafts.

The font is constructed from Norman fragments with a square base, round shaft, and unusually shaped bowl. It originally featured a cluster of four shafts around a central shaft. Remains of circa 15th-century carved bench ends survive, as do remains of a circa 15th-century rood loft or parclose screen that originally formed a parclose between the chancel and north aisle, with a section reused at the west end of the north aisle.

The church contains a painted Royal Coat of Arms dated 1700. Memorials include a slate tombchest of Christian Rogers (1609) with two kneeling figures in relief, William Billing of Lanke (1654), and John Adams (1609).

Historical and Artistic Significance

The interior of St Breward Church was illustrated by the artist Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827) in a cartoon from his series "Dr Syntax in Search of the Picturesque". Rowlandson based his cartoon figure on Reverend Ralph Baron and visited the area between 1780 and 1812, staying at Hengar in the neighbouring parish of St Tudy. Copies of the drawings are displayed in the church; the original is held in the British Museum.