Church Of St Lawrence

BIGBURY - SX 64 NE 5/1 Church of St Lawrence 26.1.67 GV II*

Anglican parish church. C14 and C15 but '... all but rebuilt by J Sedding in 1872' (Pevsner). Rubble stone, slate roofs to coped gables. Nave, chancel, north aisle, south transept, south porch, west tower with spire. Tower has diagonal buttresses to three offsets; C19 west door under 3-light Perpendicular window, ringing chamber slit above. Rendered crenellations, octagonal rubble spire. Salt side has slate steps to ringers' door. Nave, south, 2-light Perpendicular, porch with 4-centred door in square label, 2-light Perpendicular, and a 3-light reticulated on east return to transept. Chancel has two 2-light C14 type and 3-light east window with cinquefoil in circle in tracery, angle buttresses, north wall plain. East end of north aisle with 3-light Perpendic- ular, north wall has three 2-light as south wall of nave; 3-light to west end. Plinth, except to north aisle. Interior: limewashed walls, tiled floors, 3-bay nave arcade to four shafts separated by wave mould; an extra bay from chancel, but wide pier, arcade 2 hollows and half-round mould. C19 barrel roof to nave, ceiled, with ribs and bosses to chancel, which is continuous with nave; unceiled barrel north aisle, flat panelled to south transept. In chancel C14 piscina and ogee-headed sedilia; opposite is tomb recess with moulded arch including C14 'wave' head. Broad squint from south transept, which has ogee-headed piscina. Tower arch glazed in. Fittings: C19 pews, good eagle lectern from Ashburton by Thomas Prideaux c.1510; pulpit, medieval, also from Ashburton, chalice foot, panels with ogee arches. Octagonal granite font on 4 square piers, good timber cover. Early C15 de Bikebury brass, and slate slab on transept wall to 'John and Jane Peirce', 1589 and 1612. In the north aisle are remains of the village stocks. Information in the church refers to the 1872 restoration, which cost a total of £1750-8-1 including £90-12-0; it also records the moving of the main approach from the west to the east end. (Pevsner, N, South Devon, 1952).

Listing NGR: SX6678646642