Church Of St Michael

STRETE, STRETE, SX84NW, 5/245

Church of St Michael

26.1.67

II

Parish church formerly chapel of ease 1836 by T. Lidstone. Rendered local slate rubble. Single span Welsh slate roof over nave and aisles with gabled ends and eaves brackets to moulded cast-iron gutters. Plan: Nave and aisles under one roof, small sanctuary with vestry in the north east angle and west tower with entrance on west side. Perpendicular Gothic style. Exterior: The integral nave and aisles has shallow buttresses with weathered set-offs, the corner buttresses are diagonally set. 4 tall 2- light windows on both north and south sides with 2-central arches, wooded perpendicular tracery and leaded panes; the easternmost window on the north side has stained glass and the easternmost south window has been blocked. Similar windows at west end of both aisles. The small gable-ended sanctuary at the east end has a moulded 4-centred arch 3-light stone windows with perpendicular tracery. In the north east angle of the sanctuary and aisle a lean-to vestry with 2 single-light windows on the east side with ogee tracery and a 2-centred arch doorway on the north side with a C19 door with studded covermoulds. The west has 4 stays with a string at each stage, diagonal buttresses with set-offs and embattled parapet. With short pinnacles on the corners. Lancet bell-openings with slate louvres. 2-light 2-centred arch west window with perpendicular travery in first stage above large 2-centred arch west doorway with deep roll mouldings, hoodmould and C20 studded double doors. On the tower's south west buttress a slate sundial with a tripartite pointed arch head. Interior: Complete and intact perpendicular Gothic interior. 4-bay timber arcades, each pier with 4-shafts and moulded capitals and with moulded 4- centred arches. Panelled roofs, the principals on corbelled wall posts and pierced arch braces. The chancel arch has similar pierced arch braces or spandrels. The walls are plastered. The furnishing is complete. The benches and choir stalls have trefoiled and cusped ends and the fronts have cusped panels. The lecturn reading desk, communion rail and carved wooden reredos are original but the altar appears to be later. The carved wooden octagonal pulpit is dated 1887, octagonal Perpendicular style font. The Gothic style again appears to be circa 1860. Painted texts on metal plates at east ends of aisles. Stained Glass: East window is circa 1860-70. Easternmost window of north aisle, late C19 memorial to Matilda Bonsall. Historical Note: In 1560 an indulgence was granted for the repair of the chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary but it was allowed to fall into complete disrepair. The present church was built in 1836 at a cost of about £850 as a chapel of ease for Blackawton. It became the parish church in 1881 when Strete was formed into an independent parish. Source: B.F. Cresswell, Notes on Devon Churches, Deanery of Woodleigh 1923.

Listing NGR: SX8400047010