Church Of St Bartholomew

Church of St Bartholomew

This is a parish church of mixed medieval and later date. The tower is possibly late 14th century; the north aisle dates from the late 15th or early 16th century; the nave and chancel are probably of earlier origin than either the tower or aisle, though little surviving evidence supports early dating. The church underwent internal refurbishment in 1766 and considerable restoration work between 1900 and 1930, including restoration of the porch and addition of the vestry.

The building is constructed of volcanic stone rubble, with the nave and most of the north aisle rendered. Surviving medieval dressings appear to be Beerstone, while early 20th century dressings are probably Bathstone. The roofs are slate. The plan comprises a nave, chancel, west tower, five-bay north aisle (one bay to the chancel), south porch, and north-west vestry.

Exterior

Except for the tower, the exterior is fairly modest, with window tracery replaced in a free Perpendicular style. The tower is unusual for the region in the survival of statuary. The chancel has an early 20th century three-light Perpendicular east window with moulded architrave and hoodmould. The south side of the chancel features a very small priest's door with a depressed segmental chamfered arch and a probably 18th century door. To the west of this doorway is a one-light cusped window with moulded architrave and hoodmould. The nave is rendered and buttressed at the east end, with the porch in the first bay from the west. Three two-light early 20th century windows have eclectic tracery combining Perpendicular and Decorated motifs.

The north aisle is rendered except for the easternmost bay, which is slightly battered and has no east window. The easternmost window on the north side, associated with the Leach monument, has a Tudor arched head and three uncusped lights with old saddle bars and stanchions intact. The other three windows on the north side are similar in size and shape but with cusped lights and are probably early 20th century. The three-light west window is Perpendicular, heavily restored in 1908.

The flat-roofed battlemented vestry dates from 1908 and was designed by E. H. Harbottle. It has a three-light square-headed west window with cusped lights.

The fine three-stage battlemented west tower has diagonal buttresses and a projecting north-west stair turret with canted corners and a plain parapet. Several unusual features distinguish the tower, notably the statuary of high quality. The best surviving figure stands under an ogee-headed niche on the stair turret, decorated with crockets and blind tracery. The figure depicts St Anthony with his pig and is vigorously carved. Similar niches appear on the west and south faces, but the statue is missing from the west face and the figure on the south face is headless. Further statues stand under niches high beneath the battlementing on three corners, excluding the south-west corner.

Another unusual feature is the large scale of the two-light transomed belfry openings. On the north and south faces these openings have blind quatrefoils above the lights; on the west and east faces there are plain chamfered volcanic arches to the lights. The north face has a trefoil-headed opening at bellringers' stage below a square-headed hoodmould and a relieving arch. The west door has a moulded segmental Beerstone arch with hoodmould below a three-light early 20th century Perpendicular style window with hoodmould and carved label stops. The south face displays a splendid bucket-sized lead rainwater head, probably 18th century.

The gabled porch, restored in 1922, is rendered on the left and right returns. The Tudor arched chamfered doorway features high quality carved label stops depicting Queen Alexandra and Edward VII. A one-light shouldered window on the right return dates from 1922. The interior of the porch has a ceiled wagon roof with moulded ribs; the two-centred inner doorway has roll moulding and two pyramid stops to each jamb.

Interior

The interior is predominantly 18th century in character. The shallow chancel has probably early 18th century wall plaster with moulded cornice and decorative plaster panels on the nave and aisle walls and the spandrels of the arcade. The arcade is painted white.

A five-bay arcade of moulded Tudor arches stands on piers with corner shafts and good varied carved capitals. The nave roof is a ceiled wagon with thin moulded ribs. The aisle roof is similar, with medieval carved bosses including heads, sacred monograms and symbols as well as foliage. The chancel roof is a plain plastered wagon. A moulded, stopped tower arch is partly concealed by the nave roof. The bellringers' chamber is floored with probably 16th century deeply chamfered intersecting beams. The chancel arch is formed by the easternmost rib of the nave wagon.

The shallow chancel has no reredos and displays an 18th century communion rail with alternate turned and barleysugar balusters. Although refaced on the exterior, the priest's door is probably late 17th or early 18th century, retaining original hinges. Nineteenth century choir furnishings include a traceried priest's desk and chair and a timber lectern supported on an angel corbel.

The nave contains an 1890 timber drum pulpit with blind traceried panels, one depicting St Bartholomew under a nodding ogee arch. The font, possibly recut and of uncertain date, is a square volcanic bowl with chamfered corners on an octagonal stem and plinth. A complete set of circa late 18th century box pews with fielded panels survives. Late medieval floor tiles, a rare survival, are mostly sited at the east end of the aisle.

Monuments and Fittings

A spectacular monument to Sir Simon Leach, Sheriff of Devon, occupies the easternmost bay of the aisle. Simon Leach died circa 1637. The monument comprises two recumbent alabaster figures on a chest with single figures at the head and feet under a round-headed coffered arch supported on coupled Corinthian columns and crowned with a broken pediment and achievement. The chest is decorated with paired Ionic columns and rows of kneelers facing a prayer desk. The sculpture is of high quality and the whole monument is richly decorated and lit by the window which it surrounds, which is partly blocked by an oval inscription panel. According to Cresswell, the monument was probably erected during Simon Leach's lifetime (will proved 1637), and although other members of the Leach family are commemorated in inscriptions his name does not appear. The monument was in a state of decay in 1903 when it was restored by Harry Hems of Exeter with money raised by subscription.

Another fine monument against the east wall of the aisle commemorates Leach's first wife, Bridget Higgons, died 1691. Unusually urbane for Devon, it consists of a green and yellow marbled pedestal on a plinth, crowned with an urn with an inscription panel framed by a wreath on the front.

Other monuments include a 17th century wall monument on the north wall of the chancel with an inscription panel framed by Corinthian columns and crowned with skulls; a 19th century charity and memorial panel in a brattished stone frame on the south wall commemorating John Wood, died 1843; and a number of late 19th and early 20th century wall plaques including an 1890 brass to Thomas Hopkins Britton by Wippel of Exeter.

Nineteenth century stained glass includes a good east window, memorial date 1884, maker unidentified; a south chancel window, memorial date 1877 based on the Light of the World. The westernmost window in the aisle, memorial date 1921, is probably by Percy Bacon; the window next east, memorial date 1902, probably by Clayton and Bell.

This church represents a rare survival in Devon of a largely 18th century interior, while the medieval tower is outstanding.