Church of St Michael

Details

STOKENHAM STOKENHAM SX8042 Church of St. Michael 14/210 26.1.67 GV I

Parish church. 1431 rebuilding of a C14 church restored in 1874 and 1890. Dressed slate rubble; C19 limestone windows but C15 granite windows in tower. Slate roofs with stone and concrete coping to gable ends. Plan and Development: Nave, chancel, 6-bay north and north aisles, north and south transepts, west tower, south porch and vestry on north side of chancel. The first rector in 1309-10. The dedication of 1431 must have been a rededication when the church was virtually rebuilt. The nave was entirely reconstructed when the north and south aisles were added. The north and south transepts indicate it was a uniform plan but it is not certain whether they too were rebuilt. The chancel was not completely rebuilt since there is some C14 work but the C15 west tower replaces an earlier tower of which only the tower arch survives. The south porch is probably a C17 addition. The vestry on the north side of the chancel was probably added in circa early C19 when the church was refenstrated since Davidson in 1842 mentions that the church was "modernised with incongruous wooded mullious" - possibly like the vestry windows. The church was restored in 1874 at a cost of £1,200 (or £1,800) and all the windows were replaced except for the tower windows. In 1890 the chancel was restored at a cost of £300. Exterior: Chamfered plinth around the church. C19 4-light perpendicular 2- centred arch south windows (and 3-light perpendicular east and west windows of south aisle) with buttresses between. The south transept has C19 3-light 3-centred arch perpendicular window with slate sundial below dated 1811 and polygonal rood stair turret in the right hand angle with very small round- headed lancets and embattled parapet. Gabled south porch has dressed slate segmented arch, the inner doorway has double roll-moulded 4-centre arch and C19 plank door with strap hinges. North side similar but without porch. The chancel has large C19 perpendicular east window, C19 perpendicular 2- light south window and priest's doorway on south side with dressed slate 2- centred (almost round) arch and C20 door. Parallel on north side slate 2- circa early C19 vestry with slate coped gable ends, east end stack and 2 C19 windows with wooden mullions and curved braces. Tall 3-stage west tower with set back buttresses with set-offs, granite 2- light bell openings with 4-centred heads, hoodmoulds and slate louvres, embattled parapet without pinnacles and polygonal stair turret at centre of south side with embattled parapet above tower parapet; 4-centred arch external doorway at base of stair tower; C15 perpendicular 3-light west windows with mould above round arch double-chamfered dressed slate west doorway (now a window). Interior: Beerstone arcades and rear arches and exposed stone rubble walls late C19 quarry tile floor. Unceiled waggon roofs with moulded ribs and bosses appear to be late C19 except for the south aisle roof which is largely C15 and the chancel which is ceiled between the ribs and might also be C15. 6-bay north and south arcades in Beerstone with B-type piers (wave moulding between the shafts) moulded bases, carved foliage capitals and moulded 4- centred (almost round) arches. Tall unmoulded 2-centred tower arch with chamfered imposts. Fine C14 double piscina on south side of chancel with cusped agee arches with crockets head stops and bases with covered heads and foliage. C13 style reredos with blind 4-bay arcade. The chancel is

Listing NGR: SX8083842831

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

99994

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Davidson, J, Notes on Devon Churches, (1844)

End of official list entry

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