Church Of St Gabriel And St Mary

SX 8457 STOKE GABRIEL CHURCH WALK

14/120 Church of St Gabriel and St Mary 9.2.61

GV I

Parish Church. C13 west tower, remainder rebuilt in early C15, and restored in 1855. Rendered stone with red sandstone dressings and slate and lead roofs. Nave and chancel in one with C19 three-light Perpendicular east window. Long north and south aisles with C19 Perpendicular four-light windows in original openings with hood moulds, two on north aisle with carved head and angel stops. The window at the west end of the north side is C15, of four lights with panel tracery. The north and south aisles have thin buttresses with set-offs and embattled parapet. The north aisle has polygonal stair turret to rood loft. North doorway with hollow- chamfered four-centred arch with crude leaf decoration, carved spandrels and label with head stops and an old door. C13 west tower with batter and diagonal buttres- ses, only half way up, with set-offs. Bell-openings with two pointed arch lights and label. Embattled parapet, Perpendicular three-light west window over circa 1300 west doorway with two-centred chamfered arch with hood mould. Loops on north and west sides to internal stairs. Late C19 vestry on south side. Interior: C15 four-bay north and south arcades with moulded four-centred arches on piers with four shafts and wavy moulding between, and carved foliage capitals, the east piers (at screen) have shields held by angels (restored). Unmoulded tower arch. Late C19 roof, the nave an unceiled wagon roof, the chancel has wagon roof with painted panels. Good early C15 wooden rood-screen, full width of church, restored and much rebuilt in 1848 and 1928-31, but retaining painted wainscot panels depicting Apostles and Prophets. C15 carved wooden octagonal pulpit with fan-spreading stem, much restored in 1931 including the paint. Seating is mostly lace C19 but at west end are two C15 benches and part of a third, with carved bench ends. Remains of C18 or early C19 box pews in north and south aisles. C15 octagonal font with quatrefoil panels. Painted Royal Arms. Late C19 stone reredos. Monuments: some good wall monuments including Wife of Roger Pomeroy of Sandridge 1660, a slate tablet in the Sandridge Chapel on the south side. Wall monuments in the chancel including Tamosin Lyde 1663, tablet in shape of heart surrounded by laurel branches, and Arthur Champerlowne 1700. The other wall monuments - Thomas Hicks 1801 (Rear Admiral) and John Knight 1808.

References: Devonshire Screens and Rood Lofts, Transactions of the Devonshire Association, 1903. B F Cresswell, Notes on Devon Churches, Deanery of Totnes pp 266 to 281.

Listing NGR: SX8491657134