Details
SS3403 HOLSWORTHY CP NORTH ROAD (East side)
16/38 Church of St Peter and St Paul
?.1.51
GV II*
Anglican parish church. Mid C15 tower, clock dated 1867, carillon added 1875, restored
1890 when one pinnacle replaced, chancel rebuilt 1880-2, nave, south aisle capitals
raised and porch rebuilt 1883 when north aisle added. Architect Otho B. Peter of
Launceston, roof carvings by John Northcott of Ashwater. Early English style. Tower
local stone with granite butresses squared and coursed, church local stone squared and
coursed, Hatherleigh stone dressings, 2 tone slate roof, decorative ridge tiles, coped
verges to south aisle and porch. Plan: chancel, nave, north aisle, south aisle with organ
loft, west tower, 3-stage crenellated tower with 4 crocketed pinnacles, setback
buttresses terminating in crockets, 3-light louvred bell-openings, lancet on south front
below clock face, 4-light west window with cill and lower section cut off, rere arch
moulded, 4-centred arch west door with hoodmould and labels. Buttressed south aisle
windows all 3-light, lit gable ends, 3 on south front with gabled porch end bay left,
pointed arch opening with rosettes to reveals, decorative ogee surround with blind
niches, wrought iron double gate, ribbed barrel vaulted roof, Norman style round headed
opening with zig-zag decoration incorporating Norman colonnette on west side from
earlier church, C19 door, east wall has blocked arched recess for holy water stoup, west
wall has Norman capital of colonnette with carved panel above depicting the Agnus Dei -
thought to be the centre of a typanum; buttressed chancel with lancet on south side, 5-
light east window, two 2-light windows on north front, 3-light windows to north aisle,
lit gable ends, 3 on north front. Interior rendered. C19 painted and ceiled wagon roof to
with angels on corbels, archbraced roofs to nave and aisles. Perpendicular tower arch
with decorative capitals, opening glazed in C20. Chamfered depressed arch-head to tower
stair. C19 chancel arch carried on marble colonnettes with foliage capitals, corbelled
out. C19 arcades with octagonal piers and double chamfered pointed arches. C19 fittings,
encaustic tiles in chancel by Maw & C0., font purchased 1888. Pulpit in memory of John
Aspinall died 1904. Reredos 1926. Organ said to be by by Renatus Harris and to have
come from Chelsea Old Church, removed to Bideford 1723 and bought to Holsworthy in
1865 when it was restored and enlarged with decorative panels; in 1926 it was
overhauled and reduced in size. Fine tomb slab to Theophilus Dennis, died 1696, with an
unusual Celtic knot design. Convex slate roundel to Humphrey Saunders, rector, died 1670
in square moulded surround with putti. Tablet to Richard Kingdom died 1816, signed
J.Kendall, Exeter. Stained glass: west window of north aisle by Bell 1876, the East
window and north chancel window by Lavers and Westlake c1882. The Norman church was
rebuilt in the C13 reflecting Holsworthy's affluence as a market centre; the medieval
church was restored from a ruinous condition in 1808 when round headed wooden sash
windows were inserted. Further restorations of 1858 and 1865 were swept away in the
1880s. (The Western Morning News 20.12.1883; Cherry and Pevsner, The Buildings of
England, Devon, forthcoming; photographs in NMR.)
Listing NGR: SS3437703907
