Stile, Lychgate And Churchyard Wall To Church Of St Nectan

SS 22 SW 3/194

HARTLAND STOKE Stile, lych gate and churchyard wall to church of St Nectan

GV II

C16 or C17 wall with alterations of C18 and C19. Rubble stone wall, the coping having sloping sides and flat top. An extremely wide stile to the east appears to be co-eval. It has 5 steps up, and 2 steps down, a very large single granite divider at the top. Next to this is the lych gate of rectangular plan and C19 in its present form, though possibly earlier in part. It has a gabled slate roof and swivel gate with central spindle and counterweight. The leaves of the gate are of wood with Gothick arcading and splat ballusters. To either side of the gate, short sections of coped wall. The return to the long south run of wall starts with slight remains of a building, perhaps the sexton's cottage. There follows running westward a section of wall robbed of its coping, then a long run of coped wall including a small stile near the C19 south gate and running on to curve round to the west of the tower where there are two more small stiles. On the north a once-continuous run of coped wall running the entire length of the churchyard has a break of about 50 metres where the burial ground has been extended. Here the rubble and copings have been reused for west and east return walls to the extension. The old coped wall runs on, with one more short gap for access to another extension burial ground, until the north-eastern corner is reached. Here is another wide stile between coped check-walls. It is approached from the lane to the east up one flight of 4 steps and another of 12, all with slate treads and a single long granite divider. No wall exists on the east boundary until the main stile and lych gate are reached at the south-eastern corner. With the noted exceptions, this large churchyard is enclosed with a good wall of one main build.

Listing NGR: SS2356024688