Church Of St Michael

Church of St Michael, Shebbear

This parish church represents a significant architectural sequence spanning from the Norman period through to the 19th century, with major construction phases in the Norman era, the 14th century, and the 15th century. The building was substantially renovated between 1875 and 1892.

The church comprises a nave, chancel, south aisle, south chapel, west tower, and south porch. The nave and chancel originate from the Norman period, while the south aisle, porch, and probably the tower were added in the 14th century. The chancel was rebuilt in the 15th century.

Exterior

The walls are constructed of rubble, rendered on the tower and west end, with gable-ended slate roofs. The west tower is a two-stage structure with battlements and obelisk finials, set back buttresses, cinquefoiled belfry lights, and a small square-headed light on its south wall.

The north wall of the nave features an early 14th-century three-light window with intersecting tracery towards its west end. The other two windows are larger 19th-century copies with hoodmoulds. A 19th-century two-centred doorway was inserted in the south wall.

The chancel has a 15th-century style square-headed north window with cinquefoiled lights. A gable-ended 19th-century vestry and brick lean-to have been built out from the north chancel wall. Both east windows are 19th-century, featuring two lights in Decorated and Perpendicular styles.

The south chapel projects slightly from the aisle and contains a three-light 15th-century style cinquefoiled window and a rebuilt two-centred priest's doorway. The south porch is single-storey and gable-ended, with a pointed arch doorway featuring hollow and roll moulded outer and double chamfered inner arches.

The five aisle windows are all 19th-century in the Decorated style, except for the most westerly, which matches the 19th-century windows on the north wall.

Interior

The very fine Norman south doorway features a two-centred arched head with three orders of billet, beak-head, and zig-zag mouldings, with nook-shafts and cushion capitals. The porch contains remains of a trefoil-headed holy water stoup.

The 14th-century arcade to the south aisle comprises four bays with pointed chamfered arches springing from square chamfered piers with no capitals. At the east end, between the chancel and chapel, are two 15th-century four-centred arches on Pevsner A-type piers. A modern plastered chancel arch divides the aisle from the chapel. The tower arch is pointed and massive.

Internal walls are rendered. On the north side of the chancel is a narrow two-centred arched doorway. An ogee-headed piscina is situated in the south wall, with a small piscina on the east pier of the nave.

Wagon roofs cover the nave, chancel, and chapel. These were restored in 1909, retaining old timbers and renewing bosses; the chancel preserves its old carved wall-plate. The rood screen was removed in 1815.

A very good Jacobean five-sided pulpit is richly carved with each side having three arcaded panels with strapwork motif at the top and robust carved figures at each corner. The thistles and roses motif on the front panel indicates it was not made until James I's time. The lectern displays similar grotesque figures and the reading desk may incorporate work from the former screen.

Built low into the south wall is a medieval stone effigy of a lady, reputed to be the "Lady of Ladford" responsible for building the aisle. She wears a gown with a pleated collar and flowing widow's veil, with a rosary hanging from one wrist. The style of costume suggests a date between 1350 and 1450.

Two 17th-century wall memorials survive on the north chancel wall. One, dated 1692, features a slate plaque with a high relief plaster surround and scrolled pediment with skulls. The other, commemorating William Battishill, vicar, buried 1666, is of slate with a nowy head carved with coat of arms and two skulls, surrounded by a decorative border. Several 19th-century marble wall memorials are also present.

The font dates to the 19th or early 20th century and is octagonal in form.

This church preserves notably early fabric, particularly its exceptional Norman doorway, and its subsequent architectural development is of considerable interest. Good internal features from various periods survive throughout.