Church of St Andrew

Details

SX 69 SE SOUTH TAWTON SOUTH TAWTON

4/201 Church of St Andrew 22.2.67 GV I

Parish church. C15 and C16, major renovation of 1881. Most is built of large blocks of coursed granite ashlar, older parts of both aisles are more rubbleywith Cocktree ashlar voussoirs; granite ashlar detail; slate roofs. Plan: nave and chancel under a continuous roof. North and south aisles both have east chapels, the larger one is the Wyke Chapel on the northern side. Tall west tower. Most of the church was rebuilt in the C15 but not in one phase. For example the oldest walls are those of the aisles but in both cases their east chapel and parapet is secondary. The porch is probably C16. Vestry new-built in 1881. Exterior: tall and impressive west tower of 3 stages with set back buttresses, embattled parapet with corner pinnacles, 2-centred arch with moulded surround to west doorway and 3-light window directly above has Perpendicular tracery. Both aisles are 5 bays divided by buttresses. Both 4-bay sections to the nave contain three 3-light windows with similar Perpendicular tracery and contain a doorway, a plain 2-centred arch, west of centre. The south doorway has a C16 porch with embattled parapet and 2-centred outer arch with ovolo-moulded surround. North doorway is blocked and has a small window above. Windows of chapels and chancel are different in style through still contain Perpendicular tracery and east window of chancel, for instance has an elliptical arch head. Narrow priests door at right end of south aisle and semi-hexagonal rood stair turret marks break between nave and Wyke Chapel on north side. Good Interior: nave has a very good wagon roof, now open. It has hollow-chamfered ribs enriched with 4-leaf motifs, good carved oak bosses and a carved foliate wall plate interrupted by a series of carved angels in various poses, some playing musical instruments. Chancel roof (like the porch) is apparently a C19 replacement but copy of the original. Aisles have original low pitch roofs also with good carved oak bosses. Tall tower arch is moulded with caps to shafts. 5-bay arcades both sides are mostly Beerstone with moulded shafts (Pevsner's type A) with caps to shafts only (all except one carved with foliage). Both have one bay overlapping the chancel and that on the north side is granite and moulded differently. Floor of C19 tiles including a large number of mostly C17 and C18 graveslabs. Chancel floor a C19 chequer pattern of black and white marble. In north aisle narrow granite doorways to rood stair. Plastered walls. C19 Gothic Beerstone reredos enriched with marble. C19 arch to organ loft north of sanctuary containing rich early C20 carvings. Altar rail 1903 rebuild of a late C17 one with twisted balusters. C19 oak stalls. Very ornate oak chancel screen with parcloses in late Perpendicular style is dated 1902 C19 brass eagle lectern. Good C18 octagonal drum pulpit contains fielded panels inlaid with marquetry Evangelists. C19 pine benches with tracery carved in the ends; a couple are oak and maybe reused from late medieval benches. Granite font with simple cusped panels around the bowl and moulded stem is dated 1851 but the original is there too with a remarkably crude bowl; it may be Norman. Tower screen similar to and probably contemporary with chancel screen. Good monuments. The best is that of John "Warrior" Wykes in the north chapel dated 1592; his recumbent figure dressed in armour lays on a granite ashlar chest tomb and has a Beerstone tester carried on Ionic columns and the whole of this part carved with strapwork and containing the Wyke arms. South chapel has the unusual Burgoyne memorial dated 1651, a slate wall plaque carved as a family praying at a desk. It is framed in Beerstone which also includes carved figures at prayer. Other good memorials to William Oxenham (died 1743), Francis Moore (died 1739), 2 similar Battishill memorials, both called Thomas, one died 1727, the other 1728. Others from late C18 and C19. Marble benefaction board recording gift of William Oxenham in 1731. Painted charity board dated 1890. This is a particularly good granite church with high quality craftsmanship from all periods, C15-early C20.

Listing NGR: SX6531094485

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

95001

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.