Church Of St Thomas Of Canterbury

Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, Northlew

Parish church with a Norman tower and main fabric dating from the 15th to early 16th century. The church was comprehensively restored in 1885 by Fulford of Exeter. Stone ashlar walls to the aisles and rubble to the tower support a gable-ended slate roof.

The plan comprises a nave, chancel, north and west aisles and chapels, a west tower and south porch. The earliest part is the 12th-century tower; the rest of the church was rebuilt in the 15th century with north and south aisles added. The north aisle bears the arms of the Kelly family, which also appear on one side of the south doorway. William Kelly's arms and the date 1537 appear on one of the bench ends, indicating the family's significant contribution to the church's refurbishing. Throughout the 18th century and into the mid 19th century the church fell into disrepair until its restoration in 1885, which included roof repairs, bench repairs and the renewal of battlements to the tower. The medieval rood screen was removed in 1810, later restored by Herbert Read of Exeter and re-erected in sections between 1923 and 1929.

Externally, the 3-stage unbuttressed west tower probably had its higher stage rebuilt in the 15th century with obelisk pinnacles. Original round-headed stair lights appear on the south side. The 12th-century west doorway has one order of colonettes and a pointed arch with double head. Belfry openings are square-headed. An early 20th-century vestry is inserted in the angle between tower and north aisle. The north aisle has four ashlar buttresses, between two of which is a blocked 4-centred arched moulded doorway with hoodmould. Three early 16th-century square-headed 3-light mullion windows with 4-centred heads are on this side. A rectangular projection for rood stairs has a small ogee-headed light with tiny gable above. A 4-light Perpendicular window at the east end of the aisle has no cusping to tracery, with Kelly arms in labels of the hoodmould. The east window is a 3-light Decorated style restoration. The east window of the south aisle is Perpendicular of 4 lights. The south aisle has two buttresses between the windows and set-back buttresses to the corners, with three 4-light Perpendicular windows. A small segmental-headed stone arched priest's doorway is present. A single storey gabled south porch has a 4-centre arched roll-moulded granite doorway.

Internally, the porch retains its wagon roof with high relief carving to ribs and carved bosses, some restored, as are the wall-plates. The south doorway has a basket arched head with hollow roll and hollow moulding with raised pyramid stops; the arms of the Kelly and Trecarrel families are carved in the spandrels. A possibly 12th-century low pointed tower arch has chamfered imposts. Four-bay granite arcades to each aisle, probably of slightly different dates, both have moulded 4-centred arches and Pevsner A-type piers. The south aisle has more richly moulded arches with four roll moulding to capitals. The north aisle has cup capitals, the top of the easternmost one carved with the Kelly arms and the initials W.K. Above the square-headed window openings to the north aisle are wooden lintels with ornate foliage and floral carving. Good wagon roofs are present to both aisles, especially ornate to the north aisle with carved ribs and bosses. Those over the chapel have large spreading leaves or petals. Carved angels appear at the front of each rib on the wall-plate. The south aisle roof has moulded ribs and simpler bosses, also with carved angels. The nave roof has been restored; the roof over the chancel is boarded. Good 16th-century benches are in the nave and south aisle with ends of various pre-Renaissance designs, one dated 1537 and another with the arms of William Kelly. Bench ends in the north aisle are partly restored, one dated 1897. A restored medieval screen survives with old panelling; the cornice and rood loft are completely renewed. A square Norman tub font with saltire and star decoration and arcading to the sides has a central stem with corner pillars set on a square base. The church is a more than usually complete medieval building with many good features both internal and external and some interesting remains of Norman fabric.