Church Of The Holy Ghost

The Church of the Holy Ghost is a parish church dating from the 14th century, with substantial portions from the 15th century. A North chapel was added in 1665, and the church underwent restoration in the late 1720s and again between 1869 and 1870. The church is constructed of red sandstone with squared and coursed stonework, and a random rubble tower. The roofs are covered in slate, featuring decorative ridge tiles.

The church comprises a four-bay nave, a chancel, a five-bay South aisle, a South porch, a West tower, and a North aisle chapel with an anteroom. The three-stage crenellated tower has diagonal buttresses, an irregularly shaped stair turret in the north-east corner, two-light bell openings with transoms, and a three-light West window with reticulated tracery. The South aisle is also crenellated, with solid quatrefoil decoration in the merlons, along with finials, gabled ends, set-back buttresses, and a string course incorporating gargoyles. The South aisle features three-light transomed windows, except for a four-light window at the East end and a four-centred arch door inserted into the end bay on the right facade. A two-story gabled porch, flanked by crenellated returns, set-back buttresses, and finials, is positioned between the first and second bays, incorporating a three-light window and a crenellated stair turret in the South West corner. The porch features stone fan vaulting. The chancel has a four-light East window and three-light lancets on its returns. The North aisle chapel has three-light windows on both its East and North fronts under hood moulds, mirroring the appearance of a private West entrance which displays the Carew coat of arms. Several memorial tablets commemorate servants of the Carew and Bernard families of Crowcombe Court.

The interior is rendered, with a tall Perpendicular arcade and piers incorporating foliage band capitals. The nave is crowned with 19th-century wagon roofs, while the chancel has a ceiled roof. The church contains a notable collection of early 16th-century bench ends. A particularly fine late 14th- to early 15th-century octagonal font with sculptural panels is also present. A screen and pulpit, dating to 1729 and crafted by Thomas Parker, replaced those destroyed by fire; this represents a rare example of early 18th-century screenwork. The North chapel, still held by the Lord of the Manor, is situated above a family vault, and retains 17th-century panelling and a collection of hatchments. The South aisle is described as "sumptuous" and contains an excellent assortment of fittings.