Church of St Petrock

Details

HOLLACOMBE HOLLACOMBE SS 30 SE 1/86 Church of St Petrock 14.2.58 GV II Parish church. Nave probably C13 in origin, chancel and west tower C14, substantial restoration of the 1880s. Stone rubble with freestone and granite dressings, slate roofs, C19 crested ridge tiles. Beatrix Cresswell describes the church as "one of the most venerable in the Diocese" for its pre-Conquest foundation that may date back to the C6. The lintel of the inner doorway is probably C12 and a lancet window suggests that parts of the nave may date from the C13 although the masonry has been thoroughly renewed in the 1880s. The chancel of what was probably a small nave and chancel church of the C13 was rebuilt in the C14 when the west tower was probably added. In the C15 the west window was inserted and the north side may have been refenestrated. The 1880s restoration renewed most of the nave and chancel masonry and refenestrated the north and south sides but probably in the style of the windows then extant. Small aisleless church with a saddleback west tower, a south porch and a nave and chancel of equal width. The east wall has timber verges to the gable and a 2-light C14 Decorated Polyphant window with a replaced mullion: 2 trefoil-headed lights below a plate tracery roundel slightly recessed with a C19 hoodmould and label stops below a relieving arch. The south chancel window is a trefoil-headed lancet of the 1880s which may be a copy of a late C13 or early C14 lancet. The nave chancel division externally is marked by C19 buttresses with set-offs to the north and south sides, a gabled stone ventilation pot on the ridge and a change in the design of the crested ridge tiles. A 2-light C19 Decorated window with plate tracery and hoodmould below a relieving arch to the east of the porch; the chamfered lancet with relieving arch and deep internal splay to the west of the porch may be a C19 copy of a previous Early English lancet. Angle buttresses with set-offs to the west end of the nave are C19. The north side has two 2-light square-headed C19 Perpendicular cusped windows with hoodmoulds and label stops. The 2 stage largely rebuilt saddleback west tower has a plinth, string course and coped gables with kneelers to the north and south. The tower has no west doorway and a late C15/early C16 uncusped granite 3-light west window with hoodmould and label stops. The west, north and south faces have round- headed chamfered belfry openings with slate louvres, renewed in the C19. The small south porch has a coped gable with kneelers and an unmoulded 2-centred outer doorway. The interior of the porch has a C19 collar rafter roof and an unusual inner doorway. The chamfered stopped jambs are probably recut or replacements of the 1880s, moulded imposts support a straight lintel which may be C13 or earlier in origin: short sections of cable moulding flank 3 recut stylized flowers in roundels with recut fleur de lis between. A plain tympanum above contains a small rectangular block of volcanic stone carved with the crucifixion below a trefoil-headed arch; figure carving below similar arches is visible on the left and right returns. The carving does not appear to be in situ and is probably C13 or C14. Pevsner suggests that it is part of a lantern cross. Interior Rendered walls to nave and chancel with the remains of limewash on the interior of the tower. 1880s double chamfered chancel arch springing from moulded corbels, 1880s double chamfered tower arch, the outer order dying into the walls. 4- bay arch braced nave roof of the 1880s springing from moulded timber corbels with a moulded wallplate. Canted boarded 1880s waggon roof to the chancel with moulded wallplates, ribs and carved bosses. 1880s tiling of unusual design to the nave and surprisingly elaborate on the chancel step for the size fo the church. Altar step tiling probably exists but is concealed by a carpet. Modest fittings: no reredos lectern, or pulpit. Timber altar rail with moulded standards and spandrels of pierced carving. A reading desk of the C19 contains barley sugar balusters which are probably reused, C19 tower screen with barley sugar balusters. Set of modest square- headed bench ends, probably of the 1880s, with moulded rails. Plain octagonal medieval font bowl, probably C14, on a later octagonal stem with a C19 font cover of 4 crocketted pierced brackets with a crocketted finial. 2 stained glass chancel windows of 1888. Lying against the north boundary bank of the churchyard are three C18 slate headstones; one to William Dunn, the other two to the daughters of Charles --rown, and Thomas --rowne. The saddleback tower and C14 east window are unusual survivals in the county, although the tower has been thoroughly rebuilt and the saddleback design may not be of medieval origin. Pevsner, North Devon (1952).

Listing NGR: SS3775003044

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

90787

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Devon North, (1952)

End of official list entry

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