Details
SX 87 SE
9/106
HACCOMBE-WITH-COMBE
HACCOMBE
Church of St Blaise
23.8.55
GV
I
Parish Church. Probably C13, enlarged in the C14 (consecrated by Bishop Grandisson in 1328), east end fittings of circa 1820 by John Kendall, architect to Exeter Cathedral. Restoration by John Hayward in progress in 1861. Red sandstone rubble with freestone dressings; slate roof with crested ridge tiles.
Plan: nave, chancel, four-bay north aisle with lean-to roof, west end bellcote, south porch. Lancet windows, single, paired and grouped, all C19 renewals but copies of existing windows as shown in Swete's watercolour of 1798.
Exterior: adjacent to Haccombe House (q.v.), with few other buildings in the vicinity. Triple lancet east window which has been raised, leaving the earlier sill below, north and south lancets to the chancel and one paired lancet on the south side. The nave has one- and two-light lancets and a south porch with a coped gable, chamfered outer doorframe with a hoodmould, C19 arched brace roof and a chamfered inner doorframe with a fine medieval door, cross-braced internally with a medieval lock in working order. Holy water stoup on outer wall of porch. The lean-to aisle has a triple lancet east window, paired lancet west window and paired lancets on the north side. Segmental arched voussoirs on the north side mark internal tomb recesses. Triple lancet west window to the nave above an odd west porch with a rounded roof and chamfered inner and outer doorframes. 1860s bellcote by Hayward, gabled with a medieval bell.
Interior: outstanding for fittings, monuments and stained glass. Plastered walls except for the arcade piers and arches and the window rere-arches. No chancel arch; four-bay arcade (presumably early C14) with massive octagonal piers of red sandstone rubble and restored capitals of an unusual design. Arched brace roof of 1861 to nave and chancel, a copy of the previous roof; lean-to aisle roof, boarded behind the rafters.
In 1821 John Kendall of Exeter provided the remarkable Beerstone reredos, stone chancel screen and pulpit. Convincingly Gothic five-bay traceried screen with arched lights ; stone drum pulpit with carved panels on an unecclesiologically tall stem. Less 'correct' but more lively is the massive reredos flanked by texts in Gothic stone frames under vaulted, cusped, ogee arches with vine-carved pendants and giant crocketts and crocketted finials. The reredos is also vaulted with cusped ogees, the polished limestone panels may be later additions. Triple sedilia, C13 or C14 in origin, repaired 1811 (church guide) with simple chamfered arches. Choir stalls in the nave, in front of the stone screen, may also be 1820s with good seats and Early English style frontals. Very plain octagonal font of uncertain date. Two stone vested arms, (one incomplete) presumably medieval, project from the chancel and aisle walls, originally designed to hold lights. Two C19 Carew hatchments in the nave.
Floor tiling: splendid collection of probably C14 encaustic floor tiles of 29 different designs including wheel tracery, birds, lions and armorial bearings. The tiles include some blue and green glazed early C15 Spanish tiles (church guide). 1860s patterned buff and red tiles extend the medieval collection in the north aisle. Probably early C19 black and white paving to the nave and sanctuary step.
Monuments: a remarkable collection. In the chancel a fine cross-legged knight, probably early C14, in a good state of preservation with the remains of ancient colour and gesso chain main painted to imitate enamelling. Also probably early C14, a lady under an arch on the south side of the chancel holding a book, also with the remains of colour and a lady under an arch in the north aisle holding a shield. Under another arch in the north aisle a probably C13 coffin-shaped tomb with a moulded lid and a cross. In the north aisle two repaired recumbent effigies on a much renewed double chest tomb, possibly Sir Hugh Courtenay, died 1425 and Philippa, his wife, with some fragments of original colour. Beside this tomb is a remarkable miniature alabaster monument with a recumbent figure on an alabaster chest, the head supported by angels, also retaining some original colour. Very fine and unusual, the costume detail said to be late C14, possibly a heart burial.
Brasses: five brasses, unusual in a Devon church. The earliest commemorates Sir Nicholas Carew, died 1469. He is shown in armour with a two-handed sword. Another commemorates Thomas Carew, died 1586, he wears plate armour. Maria Carew, his wife, died 1589 is shown in a hoop and muff below the arms of Carew implating Huddye. Similar brass to Elizabeth Carew, died 1611, fixed to a chest tomb on a blind traceried chest under a crocketted ogee arch. The latest brass commemorates Thomas and Anne Carew, died 1656. The figures face one another across a prie-dieu with kneelers behind them and decoration of deathsheads, hourglasses and reclining angels.
Glass: an interesting collection, the medieval glass re-assembled from various parts of the church in the late C19. The east window of the aisle is 1860 grisaille, copied from the medieval glass by Beer with armorial bearings. Easternmost window in aisle, with a date of 1861 is also by Beer of Exeter, the window next west, memorial date of 1873, is probably by Beer and Driffield.
Haccombe was a collegiate church and in 1335 had an Archpriest and five chaplains, it still retains the office of an Archpriest.
Devon Nineteenth Century Churches Project Church Guide.
Listing NGR: SX8980470196
