Church of St Michael

Details

SHEBBEAR SHEBBEAR SS 40 NW 6/80 Church of St Michael - 4.10.60 - II* Parish church. Main periods of construction are Norman, C14 and C15, renovated 1875-92. Rubble walls, rendered to tower and west end. Gable-ended slate roofs. Plan: nave, chancel, south aisle and chapel west tower and south porch. Nave and chancel date to Norman period, south aisle, porch and probably tower added in C14, chancel rebuilt in C15. Exterior: 2 stage battlemented west tower with obelisk finials and set-back buttresss. Inserted C19 2-centred doorway on south wall. Cinquefoiled belfry lights and small square-headed light on south wall. North wall of nave has an early C14 3-light window with intersecting tracery towards its west end. The other 2 windows are larger C19 copies with hoodmoulds. Chancel has C15 style square-headed north window with cinquefoiled lights. Gable-ended C19 vestry and brick lean-to built out from north chancel wall. Both east windows are C19 of 2-lights in Decorated and Perpendicular styles. The south chapel projects slightly from the aisle with a 3-light C15 style cinquefoiled window and rebuilt 2-centred priest's doorway. The 5 aisle windows are all C19 in the Decorated style apart from the most westerly which is identical to the C19 windows on the north wall. Single storey gabled porch has pointed arch doorway with hollow and roll moulded and double chamfered outer and inner arches. Interior: very fine Norman south doorway which has a 2-centred arched head with 3 orders of billet, beak-head and zig-zag mouldings and nook-shafts with cushion capitals. Porch contains remains of a trefoil-headed holy water stoup. C14 arcade to south aisle of 4 bays with pointed chamfered arches springing from square chamfered piers with no capitals. At the east to end, between the chancel and the chapel are 2 C15 4-centred arches on Pevsner A-type piers. Modern plastered chancel arch and between aisle and chapel. Pointed low massive tower arch. Internal walls are rendered. On north side of chancel is narrow 2-centre arched doorway. Ogee-headed piscina in south wall. Small piscina on east pier of nave. Wagon roofs to nave, chancel and chapel restored in 1909 retaining old timbers and renewing bosses, the chancel preserves its old carved wall-plate. Rood screen removed 1815. Very good Jacobean 5-side pulpit which is richly carved - each side having 3 arcaded panels with strapwork motif at the top and robust carved figures at each corner. The thistles and roses motif on the front panel indicates that it was not made until James's I time. The lectern displays the same grotesque figures as the pulpit and the reading desk may incorporate some of the work from the screen. Built low into the south wall is the medieval stone effigy of a lady reputed to be the "Lady of Ladford" responsible for building the aisle. She has a rosary hanging from one wrist and wears a gown with a pleated collar and a flowing widows veil the style of costume suggests a date of 1350 - 1450. 2 C17 wall memorials survive on the north chancel wall. One dated 1692 has a slate plaque with high relief plaster surround and scrolled pediment with skulls. The other is to William Battishill, vicar, buried 1666 and is of slate with a nowy head which is carved with a coat of arms and 2 skulls and has a decorative border. Several C19 marble wall memorials. C19 or early C20 octagonal font. This church preserves some very early fabric with a notable Norman doorway; its subsequent development is interesting and good internal features from various periods survive.

Listing NGR: SS4384509228

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

91055

Legacy System:

LBS

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