Church of St Blaise

Church of St Blaise

This parish church in Haccombe probably dates from the 13th century and was enlarged in the 14th century, being consecrated by Bishop Grandisson in 1328. The east end fittings date from around 1820 and were designed by John Kendall, architect to Exeter Cathedral. The church underwent restoration by John Hayward, which was in progress in 1861. The building is constructed of red sandstone rubble with freestone dressings and has a slate roof with crested ridge tiles.

The church comprises a nave, chancel, a four-bay north aisle with a lean-to roof, a west end bellcote, and a south porch. The lancet windows—single, paired and grouped—are 19th-century renewals but are copies of existing windows as recorded in Swete's watercolour of 1798.

Externally, the church sits adjacent to Haccombe House with few other buildings nearby. The chancel features a triple lancet east window which has been raised, leaving the earlier sill visible below, and single lancets to north and south. The nave has one- and two-light lancets. The south porch has a coped gable with a chamfered outer doorframe and hoodmould, a 19th-century arched brace roof, and a chamfered inner doorframe. The medieval door survives in good condition, cross-braced internally with a medieval lock still in working order. A holy water stoup is set on the outer wall of the porch. The lean-to aisle features a triple lancet east window, paired lancets to west and north sides, with segmental arched voussoirs marking internal tomb recesses on the north side. The nave has a triple lancet west window above an unusual west porch with a rounded roof. The bellcote, dating from the 1860s and designed by Hayward, is gabled and contains a medieval bell.

Interior

The interior is outstanding for its fittings, monuments and stained glass. The walls are plastered except for the arcade piers and arches and window rere-arches. There is no chancel arch. The four-bay arcade, presumably of the early 14th century, has massive octagonal piers of red sandstone rubble with restored capitals of unusual design. The arched brace roof of 1861 to the nave and chancel is a copy of the previous roof; the lean-to aisle roof is boarded behind the rafters.

In 1821 John Kendall of Exeter provided the remarkable Beerstone furnishings: a reredos, stone chancel screen and pulpit. The chancel screen is a convincingly Gothic five-bay traceried screen with arched lights. The stone drum pulpit has carved panels on an unecclesiologically tall stem. The massive reredos is flanked by texts in Gothic stone frames under vaulted, cusped ogee arches with vine-carved pendants and giant crockets and crocketed finials. The reredos is also vaulted with cusped ogees; the polished limestone panels may be later additions. Triple sedilia of 13th- or 14th-century origin were repaired in 1811, with simple chamfered arches. Choir stalls in the nave, positioned in front of the stone screen, may also date from the 1820s, featuring good seats and Early English style frontals. A very plain octagonal font of uncertain date is present. Two stone vested arms, one incomplete, presumably medieval, project from the chancel and aisle walls, originally designed to hold lights. Two 19th-century Carew hatchments are displayed in the nave.

The floor contains a splendid collection of probably 14th-century encaustic tiles of 29 different designs including wheel tracery, birds, lions and armorial bearings. Some blue and green glazed early 15th-century Spanish tiles are included. Patterned buff and red tiles from the 1860s extend the medieval collection in the north aisle. The nave and sanctuary step have probably early 19th-century black and white paving.

Monuments

The church contains a remarkable collection of monuments. In the chancel is a fine cross-legged knight, probably of the early 14th century, in good condition with remains of ancient colour and gesso chain mail painted to imitate enamelling. Also probably early 14th-century is a lady under an arch on the south side of the chancel holding a book, with remains of colour, and a lady under an arch in the north aisle holding a shield. Under another arch in the north aisle is a probably 13th-century coffin-shaped tomb with a moulded lid and cross. In the north aisle are two repaired recumbent effigies on a much renewed double chest tomb, possibly Sir Hugh Courtenay (died 1425) and Philippa his wife, retaining some fragments of original colour. Beside this tomb is a remarkable miniature alabaster monument with a recumbent figure on an alabaster chest, the head supported by angels, also retaining original colour. The costume detail is said to be late 14th-century, possibly a heart burial.

Five brasses survive in the church, unusual for Devon. The earliest commemorates Sir Nicholas Carew (died 1469), shown in armour with a two-handed sword. Another commemorates Thomas Carew (died 1586), wearing plate armour. Maria Carew, his wife (died 1589), is shown in a hoop and muff below the arms of Carew imparting Huddye. A similar brass commemorates Elizabeth Carew (died 1611), fixed to a chest tomb on a blind traceried chest under a crocketed ogee arch. The latest brass commemorates Thomas and Anne Carew (died 1656), with the figures facing one another across a prie-dieu with kneelers behind and decoration of deathsheads, hourglasses and reclining angels.

Glass

The church contains an interesting collection of stained glass. Medieval glass was re-assembled from various parts of the church in the late 19th century. The east window of the aisle is 1860 grisaille, copied from the medieval glass by Beer, with armorial bearings. The easternmost window in the aisle, dated 1861, is also by Beer of Exeter. The window to the west, with a memorial date of 1873, is probably by Beer and Driffield.

Historical Context

Haccombe was a collegiate church. In 1335 it had an Archpriest and five chaplains, and the office of Archpriest is still retained today.