Church of the Holy Trinity

Details

WEARE GIFFARD SS4622 15/198 Church of the Holy 4.10.60 Trinity (formerly listed as Parish Church Church of Holy Trinity) GV. I Anglican Parish church. Late C13 chancel and nave; C15 porch, south aisle, south chapel and west tower; restored in late C19. Coursed and dressed C15 slatestone rubble, with C13 coursed slatestone rubble to north wall; west tower of rough ashlar. Stone-coped late C19 slate roof. Plan of chancel, aisled choir and nave with south aisle, south chapel and west tower. Pointed chamfered arch over late C19 three-light Perpendicular-style east window to chancel; C13 lancet window to north chancel wall; late C19 vestry with stone chimneystack and Perpendicular-style windows. South chapel has C15 five-light Perpendicular east window; four-bay south wall of nave has two C15 three-light Perpendicular windows to east and two similar windows restored in C20 to west; moulded arched doorway with C15 ribbed and studded door to south chapel. C15 south porch has moulded- arched outer doorway and casement-moulded architrave to inner, doorway with C15 ribbed and studded door with original clasping ring, plate and lock. Four-bay north wall of nave has C15 two-light window restored in C20 to east, and C15 three-light Perpendicular windows with intersecting arches to tracery. C15 three-stage tower has offset diagonal buttresses pointed moulded-arched west doorway with late C19 door, string courses and crenellated parapet; slit lights; ogee-headed figure recess to south, and hood moulds over 2-light chamfered segmental-arched belfry windows. Interior: chancel has chamfered pointed arched piscina; late C19 pointed arched doorway to vestry, late C19 Minton tile floor and late C19 organ case. C15 corbel heads support late C15 four-bay king-post roof to chancel; coved and brattished cornice, mouchettes and quatrefoils in spandrels, moulded purlins and intermediate rafters, the latter with carved pendentives. C15 five-bay arcade. South aisle and chapel has late C15 wagon roof with moulded ribs and floral bosses. Fittings: late C19 choir stalls, benches and Gothic-style pulpit. Some benches have early C16 bench ends with richly-carved Perpendicular tracery, coats of arms (including those of Bartholomew Fortescue who became patron of living in 1510), and iconography including head of John the Baptist on plate. Early C12 scalloped font on late C19 base. Monuments: north wall of nave and choir has mid C13 effigies of Sir Walter Giffard and wife (removed here in late C19 from pointed moulded arched recess where altar now stands). Fortescue Memorial of c. 1640: heraldic achievement set in broken pediment and lonic columns frame figures of Hugh Fortescue (d. 1600) and his wife Elizabeth (d. 1630), which kneel facing each other at prayer, above figures of their son, John (d. 1605), and wife Maria (d. 1637) who kneel at prayer facing outwards; these figures are flanked by relief portraits of their children (on roundels) and grandchildren (on ovals). The Fortescue Memorial was erected by John's son, Hugh Fortescue c. 1640. Chest tomb to Eleanor Fortescue, d. 1857. Late C15 wallpainting over priest's door in south chapel shows Martyrdom of St Sebastian, who is shown flanked by two bowmen. Stained glass: memorial glass, of c. 1870 to east window of chancel, and of 1902 to nave. Heads and tracery lights of east window of south chapel have fine medieval glass from C15 Jesse window, including Fortescue arms. Fragments of C15 glass in tracery of aisle windows. Buildings of England: North Devon, p,160; National Monuments Record) )

Listing NGR: SS4672222130

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

91517

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Devon North, (1952), 160

End of official list entry