Details
SX 35 NE SHEVIOCK SHEVIOCK
2/314 Church of St Mary
23.1.68
GV I
Parish church. C13 tower, early C14 nave and chancel; between 1350 and 1370, north
and south transepts were built by Lady Emmeline Dawney and Sir Edward Courtney. In
late C15, the north transept was replaced by a north aisle with north porch. Chancel
restored 1850 and nave and rest of church 1871, by G.E. Street. Inner door of south
porch dated 1723, south porch sundial dated 1780 and rainwater heads dated 1902.
Slatestone rubble, in larger blocks in north aisle and north porch. Stone dressings
in metamorphic stone of the C13 and C14, granite in the C15 north aisle and porch,
limestone in C19 restoration. C19 slate roofs with crested ridge tiles and raised
coped verges in limestone.
West tower, nave and chancel in one, south porch and south transept. North aisle and
north porch. Early English style in C14 building and C19 building, C15 Perpendicular
style.
Tower in 2 stages, unbuttressed, with spire. To west a granite lancet set low, and
small limestone carved head set above; the 2nd stage is stepped back, with a lancet
in metamorphic stone with bell louvres and relieving arch to each side. Octagonal
broach spire in rubble with broaches set back at corners over cornice, with small
lucarne in metamorphic stone at 4 alternate sides. Top of spire rebuilt circa early
C19 in granite ashlar with finial and weathervane.
Nave has rubble weathered buttress to south west, and 2-light window to each side of
porch, of C19 limestone with Y tracery and upper quatrefoil, relieving arch in
metamorphic stone.
Steep gabled south porch has weathered angle buttresses in rubble and tall 4-centred
arched rubble doorway, slate sundial over with gnomon, dated 1780, raised coped
verges and cross finial.
Single bay gabled south transept with similar rubble angle buttresses, raised coped
verges and cross finial, has C19 south window of 4 lights, with cusped lights and
upper tracery, hood mould and relieving arch. 3-light window to east and west, with
cusped lights and 3 upper quatrefoils, relieving arch; east window has some
stonework remaining from C14 window.
2-bay chancel, on plinth to east, with weathered rubble buttresses and angle
buttresses, these have metamorphic stone weatherings. Large C19 5-light east window
with hood mould and relieving arch, 2 similar 2-light windows to south; raised coped
verges and cross finial. North aisle of 6 bays, has east window in granite, of 4
lights, with hollow chamfered mullions and surround, cusped lights with upper Y
tracery, 4-centred arch with hood mould and stops. Granite kneelers to raised coped
verges and cross finial. The north side has 3-light granite windows, all with cusped
lights and upper tracery, 4-centred arch and hood mould with stops. Between the 4
windows to left, rood stair with small lancet and roof pitch extended from pitch of
main roof. C19 4-light west window in limestone with hood mould over 4-centred arch.
Second bay from west has gabled north porch of late C15, with raised coped verges and
cross finial, 2-centred arched granite doorway with roll-moulding and recessed
spandrels, flat head. Interior of porch has original roof of arched braces with
purlins and collar purlin, moulded, with moulded bosses and wall-plate. Inner
doorway in granite, hollow-chamfered with 4-centred arch, carved leaves in spandrels
and wave-moulded surround. Plain C19 door and image shelf above. Wrought iron gate
across outer doorway.
Interior Tower has narrow pointed rubble arch with impost mouldings, deep splayed
reveal and rere arch to west lancet. Nave and chancel have C19 wagon roof, 3 bays in
chancel with brattished collars and plain king posts. In the nave, the south windows
have rere-arches. Holy water stoup by south door. Tall wide 4-centred arch to south
transept, in limestone, with wave-moulded shafts with caps to sides. 6-bay granite
arcade between the nave and chancel and the north aisle; this has 4-centred arches
with wave and hollow mouldings. Cornish standard piers with mouldings to abaci
ingeometric designs. Chancel has 3 C19 sedilia to south and ogee-headed cusped
piscina. East window has nook shafts, and at base of shaft to left an image niche
with nodding ogee head, cusped, with moulded surround. Aumbry to north with foliage-
carved corbel. South squint to transept. Transept has C19 roof of arched braces and
collars. In east wall an ogee-headed cusped piscina. Along the south wall, twin
funeral recesses, plain tomb-chests with quatrefoil decoration, with a knight and a
lady, supposed to be Lady Emmeline Dawney and Sir Edward Courtenay, c 1375; above
the figures is a coving, and blank cusped arches. The south porch has plain inner
door with re-used earlier handles, wave-moulded surround in limestone, C19 arched-
brace roof. The north aisle has 14-bay wagon roof of C15 with moulded ribs, 2 rows
of purlins and ridge purlin, with carved bosses and wall-plate. Sockets for draw-bar
across north door. Rood stair has 4-centred arched lower door in stepped surround,
stone newel stair to upper door with 4-centred arch, hollow-chamfered with run-out
stops. Tomb recess under window by rood stair, with effigy of a knight, Sir Hugh
Courtenay, c. 1375, on tomb-chest with quatrefoil decoration. East end of aisle used
as vestry/organ chamber, east window has nook shafts with carved caps.
Fittings: pews in nave and aisle and transept have carved bench ends, some of late
C15 in Renaissance style, and some of C19 restoration. Late C19 carved wooden pulpit
in nave. Circular stone bowl font in nave. C16 stocks in north aisle. 2 slate
hatchments in north aisle with the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. C19 polychromatic
tiles on chancel floor.
Monuments, all in north aisle: marble tablet on slate ground, with round head and
urn, to John Wallis, 1780; slate tablet with pilasters and marble cornice, by J.
Croad, to Samuel Deeble, 1759; marble tablet with pedimental top and acroterial
ornaments, to George Duckworth, 1811; marble tablet on slate ground with pediment
with open book and putto below, by J. Bacon of London, to Penelope Fanshawe, 1814;
slate tablet with border and principal names painted in gold, to Jane Littleton,
1773; marble tablet on slate ground with rounded pediment and apron, urn to top, to
William Dunrich, 1794.
East window of north lisle has fragment of mediaeval glass showing the head of the
Virgin; south window of the chancel has fragment of mediaeval glass with the
Courtenay coat-of-arms. Rood stair lancel has lattice glazing probably of late C15.
Chancel east window with stained glass by Wailes to the designs of Street.
(Sources: Radcliffe, E. : Buildings of England : Cornwall 1970)
Listing NGR: SX3701655093
