Church Of St John The Baptist

LUSTLEIGH LUSTLEIGH SX 7881

9/184 Church of St John the Baptist - 23.8.55 GV I

Parish church. C15 or early C16 with C13 chancel and C19 vestry. Roughcast stone; the tower, porch and buttresses of north aisle of granite ashlar. Slated roofs. Nave, chancel, south transept and porch, north aisle; vestry on east side of transept. Chancel has triple lancet window on east and single lancet window on north. The north aisle, clearly early C16, has 3-light granite windows with almost pointed heads to the lights; and straight granite hood-moulds. Deep south porch with battlements and 2-centred arched doorways, the outer with wave moulding and the inner with plain chamfer. Granite seats internally at either side, wagon roof. Plain holy water stoup. 2-stage tower with battlements and pinnacles. West doorway with moulded 2-centred arch. 2-light belfry openings with almost rounded arches. Interior: nave and chancel have north arcade of 4 granite arches with 4-centred heads resting on monolithic columns, these having attached shafts with hollow mouldings between. In north wall of aisle 2 recesses with 4-centred arches, these containing re-set effigies. Stair to rood loft has granite steps; top and bottom doorways with rounded heads. Wide, pointed double-chamfered arch to south transept. Chamfered, round-headed tower arch. Chancel has 3 sedilia with trefoiled arches in south wall. Next to them is a piscina with 2 pointed arches having a quatrefoil panel above. In north wall a blocked recess with double hollow moulding and a pointed head. In each of north and south walls, high up, a small carved stone with 2 holes in, designed for hanging the Lenten veil. Wagon roofs with carved bosses. Fittings: Norman font, the plain bowl supported in the centre by a thick, cable- noulded shaft and on its perimeter by 6 later black marble columns. Mid C16 carved rood screen. Plainer parclose screen. Monuments: tomb slab of circa 550-600, previously on floor of south porch. It is inscribed DATUIDOCI CONHINOCI FILIUS; that is to say, Datiudoc son of Conhinoc. Re-set medieval effigies in wall recesses; 2 in north aisle, 1 in south transept. Some good C17 floor slabs. Sources: N Pevsner, South Devon, 1952, pp.199-200. Information on the C6 tombstone is displayed in Lustleigh Church.

Listing NGR: SX7850181271