Church Of St Andrew

Church of St Andrew

A parish church with origins probably dating to the 13th century, enlarged in the 14th century, then substantially remodelled and enlarged in the early 16th century. The building was comprehensively restored in the mid-19th century by William Cubitt and reopened in 1875.

The church is constructed of dressed slate rubble with granite dressings and has slate roofs with stone coped gable ends.

The 13th-century church originally comprised a nave and chancel. A north aisle was added in the 14th century, and the west tower may date from this period, though it was largely rebuilt in the early 16th century. The church was substantially enlarged in the early 16th century with the addition of a south aisle and an integral porch. The present plan comprises a west tower with a nave and chancel in one, five-bay north and south aisles running almost the full length of the nave and chancel (the north aisle has three nave bays plus two chancel bays; the south aisle is similar, with its westernmost bay occupied by the integral porch). A stair turret at the west end of the south aisle gives access to a chamber over the porch, and a rood stair turret is positioned on the north side.

The church has a chamfered plinth around its perimeter. The south aisle features four 19th-century granite Perpendicular-style three-light windows with buttresses with set-offs between them, and a tall narrow round-arch south porch doorway with broad ovolo moulding. The inner porch doorway has a tall narrow chamfered round arch and a late 19th-century door. A late 19th-century stair turret at the west end of the south aisle sits in the angle with the tower. An early 20th-century priest's doorway is positioned in a split buttress; to its right is a slate monument to Dorothy Tawley, who died in 1728.

The north aisle has similar 19th-century Perpendicular-style windows, except for the centre window, which is 16th-century with three round-headed lights and a hoodmould with stops, and the easternmost window, which is a medieval Beerstone Perpendicular-traceried window. Buttresses with set-offs separate the windows, and a large polygonal rood stair turret with battlements is positioned here.

Both three-light east windows of the aisles are medieval and made of granite: the north aisle window has panel tracery, whilst the south aisle east window has simple tracery with round-headed lights. The chancel east window is a four-light late 19th-century Perpendicular-style replacement.

The west tower is tall with three stages, set-back buttresses, and an embattled parapet on a corbel table. On its north side is a polygonal stair turret with a tented stone dome and weathervane. Small round-headed bell-openings with slate louvres are positioned on each side; late 19th-century lights have been inserted at the ringing stage on the south side. The west window is a late 19th-century granite Perpendicular-style three-light window. Below it is a blocked west doorway with a chamfered slate two-centred arch.

The interior has plastered walls with hollow chamfered rear arches. The tower interior shows exposed masonry and a tall unmoulded two-centred tower arch with chamfered imposts. The original roofs were replaced in the late 19th century with unceiled waggon roofs with moulded ribs. The floors are paved with late 19th-century tiles.

The five-bay north arcade has double chamfered three-centred arches in the two chancel bays with granite monolith A-type piers with moulded caps and basins. The east respond is polygonal in dressed slate, whilst the other north aisle piers are granite monolith octagons with moulded bases and caps, supporting moulded granite four-centred arches. The south arcade is similar, with all piers being A-type granite except the east respond, which is semi-octagonal; the westernmost bay is occupied by the integral south porch.

A rood screen dated 1547 extends across the nave and aisles and is largely complete, though its canopy is missing. One bench end fixed to its base is dated 1633. One bay of the south parclose screen survives. The north parclose is 20th-century but incorporates fragments of old tracery. The pulpit base and panels are 16th-century with Gothic foliage between the panels, which feature canopied niches, a Renaissance-style frieze, and a Jacobean billeted cornice.

A cusped head piscina is located at the east end of the north aisle. The reredos is a carved alabaster piece of 1892. In 1908 the sanctuary walls were panelled in marble. The remaining furnishings are late 19th-century in date, including benches in the nave and aisles, choir stalls, and a carved wooden eagle lectern. The marble font dates to circa 1900. The organ, installed in 1913, is American.

The church contains a notable series of wall monuments. A marble monument in the chancel commemorates Reverend Nathaniel Wells (died 1762) and is signed M Emes Exon. Other Gothick monuments in the chancel commemorate members of the Wells family, one signed by Weeks. At the east end of the south aisle is an early 17th-century monument with kneeling figures in an aedicule, a brass to John Fortescue (1595) and his wife, and a brass fragment with one kneeling figure and a tablet above dated 1572 with a shield. A Fortescue wall monument of 1821 and three 17th-century local marble ledger stones to the Fortescues are located in the chancel south chapel. Two other 17th-century slate ledger stones to members of the Fortescue family are in the south aisle, along with a Gothick wall monument to Fortescue Wells (died 1861). A large classical marble wall monument to members of the Fortescue family is positioned at the west end of the south aisle. In the chancel north chapel is an unusual wall monument with a laurel wreath around a heart inscribed to the memory of Elizabeth Wood, above which is an undated monument to members of the Scobell family of Nutcombe (probably late 18th-century). Also in the north chapel is a slate plaque to Mary Pages (died 1761), signed by J. Doleman of Modbury.

The stained glass throughout the church is mostly late 19th-century plain glass with red borders, though a small fragment of medieval glass survives in one of the north chapel windows. The east and west windows contain late 19th-century pictorial glass in memory of Mrs Fortescue and William Cubitt (1892) respectively. A memorial window to Felix Calvert of Coombe in the north aisle dates to 1936 and was created by George Cooper Abbs.

The church contains six bells: four were cast in 1723, one in 1861, and one in 1908.