Church of St Peter

Details

MEAVY MEAVY SX 56 NW 4/104 Church of St. Peter 21.3.67

GV I

Parish Church. Norman core with some C13 fabric, the remainder C15. Stone rubble walls, coursed granite to tower with some dressed stone. Gable-ended slate roofs to nave, aisle, transept and porch. The plan comprises nave, chancel, south transept, south aisle, south porch, west tower and vestry on north side of chancel. The oldest feature of the church is the square north pier to the chancel arch, apparently of Norman date. The church was totally reconstructed in the C13 from the evidence of the chancel with the South Chapel probably early C14; it may have been cruciform although only the south transept now survives and this contains no features earlier than C15. The fact that the tower is unbuttressed suggests that it may be pre-C15 but its west window and doorway are Perpendicular in style. The south aisle and porch were added in the C15. A vestry was built onto the north side of the chancel in the C19. 3 stage unbuttressed tower, battlemented with small crocketted pinnacles and moulded plinth. The west doorway is of richly moulded granite with a pointed arch and quatrefoils in the recessed spandrels. It has a heavy square hoodmould. 3-light Perpendicular west window, granite with moulded surround. The stringcourse arises above it as a hoodmould. Belfry openings of 1 and 2 light with arched heads. Square stair turret on north side of tower with slit lights. On the north side the nave has a late C15 3-light window with cinquefoiled heads - the central one taller -towards the West end. To its left is early C16 4-light window with segmental heads to the lights and square hoodmould. Beyond that is a rectangular projection for the rood stairs. To its left (east) the C19 vestry projects at right angles. The north window to the chancel is very late Perpendicular of 3 round-headed lights, partially restored. The East window is an Early English 3-light lancet. The south chapel has a circa early C14 east window of 2-lights with Y-tracery and a similar window on its south wall. To the left of this is a late C15 arched granite window with 2 cinquefoiled lights. Between the 2 windows is the small granite priest's door with round-headed arch, simple roll moulding and decorated spandrels. The 2 windows to the south transept and the aisle to its west are Perpendicular of 3-lights in granite. The single storey C15 south porch has a stone cross at its apex. Heavily moulded 4- centred arched granite outer doorway with moulded plinth to the jambs and arched hoodmould. Interior: The south porch has a chamfered granite cornice below the moulded wall plate which projects at intervals marking the former position of ribs which would have formed a moulded wagon roof. The bowl of the holy water stoup is carved in the shape of a grotesque face. C15 south doorway has pointed granite arch with hollow and convex moulding and double stops. The south aisle has a 3 bay arcade with a further arch dividing the chancel and south chapel. Pevsner A-type piers with deep cup capitals and bases; the 2 arches to the aisle are 4-centred whereas that to the transept has a shallow segmental head and the arch from chancel to chapel has a depressed 4-centred head. On all, the mouldings run up from the piers. The chancel arch has a tall 4-centred head, it runs down on the left to a square pier of alternating Dunstone and red sandstone, with chamfered edges which each have a carved ram's head at the top - these suggest a Norman date. Very plain tall tower arch. In the north wall of the nave is a small moulded granite arched doorway, originally leading to the rood screen which was removed in 1840. A hagioscope gives a view of the altar from the south chapel. The chancel roof is a complete probably C19 restoration. The wagon roof to the nave appears to retain its original principal rafters which are moulded and terminate in drop pendants. The large bosses may have been restored with some of the other timbers although the wall-plates appear mainly original. The south chapel retains its very large original elaborately carved bosses which include ones of Christ's head, a dying stag, a lioness and a woman's head. The south aisle and transept roofs have been at least partially restored. The octagonal granite font is probably C16 with simple shaft and chamfered base; its panels are decorated with devices such as shields, the keys of St. Peter and sword of St. Paul. The marble reredos is of 1884 by J.D. Sedding. The oak stalls in the chancel with carved animals and birds were installed in 1892. Although it does not retain much of its early fittings this church preserves a largely medieval fabric with traces of an earlier building; it is notable for the survival of a number of early windows dating from the C13 to the C16. Sources: Beatrix Cresswell - Churches in the Deanery of Tavistock; Kelly's Directory [1897]

Listing NGR: SX5404167221

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

92708

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Cresswell, B F, Notes on Devon Churches in the Deanery of Tavistock, ()
Kelly's Directory in Kelly's Directory, (1897)

End of official list entry

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