Details
AVETON GIFFORD VILLAGE CENTRE
SX 64 NE
4/35 Church of St Andrew
26.1.67
GV II*
Anglican parish church. Second half of C13, but extensively rebuilt and modi-
fied, 1957-1970, following major bomb damage in 1943. Major restoration also
made 1868. Rubble, slate roofs to coped gables. Cruciform with central tower,
north porch, aisless nave, transepts and chancel; chapels formerly flanking
chancel not rebuilt after bombing. Prominent circular stair turret south-west
corner of tower. West end has 4-light C14 style window with sexfoil over
quatrefoil tracery. Corner buttresses, with offsets to eaves height. South
side has two 4-light with dripmoulds and voussoirs; circular stair turret to
conical roof, pointed door, 2 slits. South transept plain to west, 4-light
window, corner buttresses; east face has 3-light window inset to walling filling
original arch to chantry chapel. South face of chancel similar arcade fill with
two 3-light windows; east end with diagonal buttresses, 4-light window to drip-
mould, similar to west end. North wall has 3-light with dripmould and vous-
soirs. Internal corner to north transept has vestry with lean-to roof, and at
north end a section of wall to former chantry chapel. North gable of transept
has 4-light to dripmould. Porch, which was not destroyed in 1943, has 2-light
C14 window over pointed arch with six hollow chamfers to jambs in a slatey and
much worn stone and 3 much worn colonnettes, the bases just discernible; west
side has octagonal stair turret with quatrefoil light, and east side a cusped
lancet from a single stone. Slate floor, C19 ceiling on brackets, splendid C13
inner doorway in richly moulded surround with paired columnsl; mouldings die to
crude cylindrical 'stops', as to outer doorway. Nave north side has a lancet
each side of porch. Windows generally are in C14 style. Central tower has
plain square base, middle range with louvred lights to bell stage, and crenel-
lated parapet: the tower had to be rebuilt a second time, in 1966, after the
wartime destruction. Interior: nave has slate floor, plastered walls, barrel
roof in 6 x 10 compartments with bosses, north wall small blind C13 opening and
two lancets in deep rere-arches on colonnettes. Moulded doorhead breaks through
moulded string, which returns at west end, stepped down at window. Double
hollow mould tower arch, 3 Early English columns and capitals. Intrados to
north tower arch has 191 figure in niche to Bishop Stapletone, c.1300; C20
screen. Chancel has barrel roof similar to nave, in 6 x 7 compartments; remains
of arcades have granite piers to trumpet capitals. Piscina with wave mould to
arch. North transept, wood floor, 6 x 5 compartment ceiling, blind arch to east
has granite piers and interlace or cable-mould capitals. South transept
similar. Fittings: Octagonal C14 granite font with panel decorations, stone
altar table, C20 pews. Memorials: Two white marble Greek tablets nave south,
1813 and 1834, Kingsbridge Sculptors. In north transept, to John Hurrell, 1751
etc; big square slate to John Honeychurch, d.1662, very shallow cut to
lettering, three brasses of 1874, 1917 and 1925. Sanctuary has white marble to
Rev Benjamin Kerr Vaughan, d.1847 aged 87; he was vicar for 57 years. Tablet
records that the ICBS gave £30 in 1868 (at the time of a major restoration), to
provide 56 extra seats, giving a total then of 362 places. The bombing of 1943
left a towerless building with no roofs; a series of bombs was released on the
village by a stray aircraft at the time, causing considerable damage. A panel
in the east wall of the porch records:
"Built in the fourteenth century, destroyed 26 January 1943,
restored 1948-1957, reconsecrated by the Bishop of Exeter
12 October 1957. New tower built in 1970."
Listing NGR: SX6959047840
