Church of St Michael and All Saints

Details

WEMBWORTHY WEMBWORTHY SS 60 NE 3/78 Church of St Michael and All 26.8.65 Saints - GV II*

Parish church. Medieval origins, some early C16 work and tower dated 1626, porch of 1849, most rebuilt in 1868 and restored again in 1902 by Harbottle Reed. Earlier work of local mudstone rubble laid to rough courses with volcanic and red sandstone ashlar detail, restoration work of snecked mudstone with Beerstone and Bathstone detail including some granite in tower; slate roof includes bands of fish-scale decoration. Nave with lower and narrower chancel, north aisle with east chapel under continuous parallel roof, west tower to aisle with nave overlapping on south side, and porch on west end of nave. Perpendicular style throughout. Plain low west tower of 2 stages with low set back buttresses and embattled parapet. The north-west corner is mended with massive granite ashlar quoins. Belfry has small segmental-headed windows except on south side, a presumably C19 Beerstone 2-light square-head window with trefoil-headed lights and hoodmould. The north side of tower has a slit window to ringing floor and west side has a plain ground floor 2-light window of volcanic stone with chamfered mullion and is flanked by volcanic stone plaques both inscribed IC 1626. The C19 porch at end of nave has low-pitched gable end with a moulded string and parapet. End has diagonal buttresses and 2-central outer arch with moulded surround and hoodmould. The nave, though much rebuilt in C19, is still basically early C16 or earlier. The west end, however, appears to have been rebuilt with the porch; shaped kneelers and coping with apex cross. The south side is a 3-window front with buttresses between flanking angle buttresses and soffit-chamfered wall plate under eaves. All the windows are tall, square-headed and 3 lights with cinquefoil or trefoil heads, sunken spandrels and moulded hoods with square labels. They are not exactly similar. The left one is Bathstone and a C19 copy. The centre is coated and with external ferramenta and maybe early C16, and the right window is also coated but here some volcanic stone and red sandstone shows through and this is the only window with trefoil heads. It too has external ferramenta and is probably early C16. Chancel appears a complete C19 rebuild. South side has Hatherleigh stone 2- light window with Decorated style tracery. East end has shaped kneelers coping and apex Iona cross, angle buttresses and 3-light Perpendicular window. East end of north aisle has similar 3-light window. North side has 3-window front of square- headed 3-light windows. Left end window of Hatherleigh stone is a C19 copy. The others are Beerstone and appear C17, they contain diamond panes of old leaded glass and have external ferramenta. Left of centre is the C19 rebuilt priests door. Interior: porch has tiled floor which contains encaustic memorial tiles to the Revd. Peter Johnson (d.1869) and his wife Gratiana (d.1845). Main west door a C19 moulded 2-centred arch like the outer arch of the porch. Both nave and north aisle have ceiled wagon roofs which though much-restored in C19 still retain good deal of early C16 carpentry. In the nave the 6 western bays have original chamfered ribs and large crudely-carved bosses but the 4 eastern bays are C19 with moulded ribs, neater bosses and a slightly lower vault. Similarly the aisle has 4 original bays to west with moulded ribs and carved bosses and 4 C19 bays in same style to east. Both have C19 moulded wall plates. Chancel has C19 open 3-bay roof comprising arch-braced trusses springing from moulded Beerstone corbels. C19 Beerstone chancel arch in which inner moulding springs from half- engaged colums against the responds. Between nave and aisle is a Hatherleigh stone 4-bay arcade (one overlapping the chancel) with octagonal piers with moulded capitals (Pevsner's Type C). It is probably a C19 replacement. The tower projects into the aisle with a C19 door and, on the south side, a C17 2-light volcanic stone window with chamfered mullion overlooking the nave. Floor of nave and aisle is mostly slate slabs with some reset C17 green-glazed relief-decorated floor tiles, and nave includes 2 white marble grave slabs, one to John Tarlton, rector (d.1666), the other to Joanna his wife (d.1683). Chancel floor of C19 patterned tiles. Chancel has C19 painted stone reredos comprising a Gothic style blind arcade, the centre panel with a cross and flanking panels with sacred monograms. Alpha and omega symbols enrich the spandrels and cornice has 4 leaf decoration. The C19 oak altar rail supported by twisted iron standards with foliate brackets and at each end twisted brass stems with ivy leaf repousee ornament carry oil lamps. Stalls and benches are C19 and deal. Chapel at east end of aisle is now screened off as a vestry with field panelling, possibly C18. Pulpit is C17, renovated in C19, with panelled octagonal drum and cornice enriched with cable moulding and shallow acanthus leaves. C19 Beerstone Perpendicular style font with moulded base, blind arcade around stem to octagonal bowl, the faces of which have sunken quatrefoils alternately in squares of lozenges. 2 similar C17 marble mural monuments set side by side on south wall of nave, left in memory of Lawrence Clotworthy of Rashleigh (d.1655) and right in memory of Mary Bury, daughter of John Clotworthy (d.1651). Both have triangular-headed plaques with moulded frames. Flanking Ionic columns support a broken pediment with lower plain shelf on moulded consoles. Both surmounted by arms of deceased, the latter on a lozenge-shaped plaque framed with laurel leaves. East window of aisle contains fragments of C16 stained glass in the tracery. Sources: Devon SMR. Devon C19 Church Project

Listing NGR: SS6628309877

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

95549

Legacy System:

LBS

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