Church Of St Matthew

TORQUAY

SX9063 ST MATTHEW'S ROAD, Chelston 885-1/17/346 (South side) 14/02/72 Church of St Matthew

GV II*

Parish church. 1895-1904 by Nicholson and Corlette (Pevsner). Rainwater goods dated 1903. Rock-faced red sandstone with freestone dressings; top stage of tower ashlar; slate roof; crested ridge tiles. Free Gothic style. PLAN: Nave, chancel, north and south aisles; south-east tower; north-east vestry; porches on north and south sides in western bays. EXTERIOR: 5-bay aisles, buttressed with set-offs with traceried 2-light windows except for the bay adjacent to the porch on the south side which is 3-light. 5-light traceried chancel window with 2 king mullions. Chancel with 3 buttresses to east wall. Far end of south aisle flush with chancel east wall: 3-light traceried windows. 3 segmental-headed traceried windows on the east wall light church offices. To the right, the east wall of the north aisle is set back behind a flat-roofed vestry with an embattled parapet. Symmetrical west end, the nave slightly broken forward with a 4-light traceried window; 3-light windows to west end of aisles. Shallow porches, the north side porch freestone with an original panelled door; south porch sandstone with an original door with strap hinges with pierced detail. 3-stage tower with clasping buttress and projecting south-east stair turret. Belfry stage has octagonal corner turrets and large 2-light traceried louvred belfry windows with recessed stone panels below; parapet pierced with crosses. INTERIOR: The church is described in Pevsner as 'excellent work' by the firm. Very complete with high quality Arts and Crafts fittings. Snecked stone walls with rusticated stone relieving arches. 5-bay nave with open wagon roof with carved bosses, roof preserves original green stain and green white and red decoration to principal timbers. N & S arcades have octagonal piers and capitals carved with Arts and Crafts style fishes and flowers and double chamfered arches. Wide, wagon-roofed aisles. 3-bay timber chancel screen with wrought-iron panels and carved canopy. Chancel has painted wagon roof with original decoration. Single arches into organ chamber to N and vestry to S, the latter with a carved parclose screen. Timber drum pulpit with boldly-carved symbols of the evangelists. Spectacular font ensemble at W end. Font with polished granite bowl, cylindrical stem and simple octagonal corner shafts stands on flight of steps. Font cover made and given by Gerald Moira (Pevsner) with a timber cover with a circle of carved angels. Cover attached by chain to counterweight supported on a very tall trabiated, carved timber structure. On either side of the font, fine figures of St Mary and St George by F Lynn Jenkins (Pevsner) on plain granite pedestals. STAINED GLASS said to be by AK Nicholson (Pevsner) but E window signed with 2 interlocking Cs. (Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Devon: London: 1952-1989: P.850-1).

Listing NGR: SX9004563720