Church of St German

Details

GERMANSWEEK GERMANSWEEK SX 49 SW

6/87 Church of St. German 22.2.67

GV II*

Parish Church. Probably incorporates some C13 fabric with C14 and circa early C16 additions, restored in 1870 and 1875. Granite and local volcanic stone rubble wall, roughly coursed on the tower. Gable ended slate roofs with decorative fish-scale pattern over porch and chancel. C19 coping-stones to gable ends. Plan of nave, chancel, south transept, west tower, north aisle and chapel, and south porch. The low unbuttressed tower is probably the earliest part of the church, the nave, chancel and south transept are likely to date from the C14. In the circa early C16 the north aisle was added. The Church was extensively restored in 1870 and 1875 when it was re-roofed and new fittings put in. Low 2 stage unbuttressed tower with weathered crenellation and no pinnacles. Very primitive granite west doorway is almost round-headed and chamfered without stops. West window is C19 restoration of 2 trefoiled lights with square hoodmould above. Probably original belfry lights have worn trefoiled heads. Square stair turret projecting on north side of tower. Attached to south wall of tower, low down, is a slate memorial to Richard Redcliffe and his wife Joan who died 1789 and 1793. Chamfered plinth. The north aisle has no plinth. On its west wall is an early C16 granite 2-light mullion window with 4-centred heads, in a reserved chamfer, with square hoodmould. On its north wall the aisle has 3 similar windows of 3 lights without hoodmoulds. At the east end of the aisle is a contemporary 3-light window with very simple late Perpendicular tracery; its hoodmould has carved headstops. The east window is a C19 restoration with Perpendicular tracery. On the south side of the chancel is a C19 single cinquefoiled light and there is a similar 2-light window on the east side of the transept. In the angle between the transept and chancel is a slight projection for the rood stairs. The south window of the transept is C19 with Perpendicular tracery. The single storey porch is immediately to the west of the transept and may be completely C19 with a plain stone arched doorway. To its left the south aisle has a restored 2-light window with cinquefoiled heads. Interior: The porch has carved wall plates which are probably C19. The south doorway has been rebuilt as a plain stone rubble arch. 4-bay granite arcade to north aisle with shallow 4-centred arches which are double chamfered, a free-stone arch crosses the last bay at the east end marking the side chapel. Pevsner A-type piers with moulded cup capitals and simply moulded bases. The chancel arch has been rebuilt and is plastered and rests on corbels. Plain tall tower arch is slightly 4-centred. The walls are plastered except for the chancel which has C20 render. C19 arch- braced collar beam roofs to nave, aisle and transept. Contemporary roof to chancel is richly carved with running leaf motif. Font has C15 octagonal granite bowl with renewed shaft and base. Rood stairs entrance is in the transept and incorporates a squint to the altar but the stairs are blocked higher up. Small piscina with chamfered stone arch in north chapel. There is also a piscina in the transept. On the north wall of the aisle is a simple wall memorial of 1800 to Anna Maria Seccombe. The Church has a slate slab floor apart from the chancel which has C19 tiles. Sources: Leslie Fielding - Germansweek and its Parish Church; Beatrix Cresswell - Churches in the Deanery of Okehampton.

Listing NGR: SX4389694160

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

94330

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Cresswell, B F, Notes on Devon Churches in the Deanery of Okehampton, (1906)
Fielding, L, Germansweek and its Parish Church, ()

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