Details
SX 86 NW BROADHEMPSTON BROADHEMPSTON
2/53 Church of St Peter and St Paul
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GV I
Parish Church. C13 chancel considerably rebuilt, main build C15. Main restorations
1876-7, 1896-8 by Sedding and 1903. Rendered rubble walls, tower and west end are
roughcast. Gable ended slate roof to nave, aisles and porch, all have coping
stones and kneelers. Chancel in Early English style probably considerably rebuilt
in C19. Nave, aisles, west tower and porch are Perpendicular, tower possibly pre-
dates nave.
A shallow chamfered plinth runs around the aisles and porch but not the chancel or
tower. The tower is in 2 stages, the second one much shorter, and is battlemented at
the top. West doorway is of volcanic stone with 4-centred arch which has worn roll
and hollow moulding and hoodmould above. Double relieving arch. West window is
late C19/early C20 Perpendicular restoration with double relieving arch. Above is
single light arched window on north west and south sides. On second stage are 2-
light belfry openings with arched heads on each side of tower. In corner between
tower and north aisle is stair projection with 2 very small square headed openings.
North and south aisle windows had tracery replaced during 1896-8 restoration,
otherwise original. Intermediate buttresses and buttress set back from east corners
of each aisle. On the north aisle the buttress in between the 2 most westerly
windows incorporates a so-called 'devils door' used during baptism, this has a
projecting stone arched surround. Between the 2 most easterly windows is a shallow
bulge for the rood stairs. The north and south chancel windows are late C19
replacements in Early English style, 2-light with plate tracery. The east window is
probably contemporary and is 3-light with intersecting tracery. On the south aisle
the second window from the left has carved head-stops to its hoodmould. The plain
porch is at the west end of the south aisle with a simple stone arched doorway.
Good Interior: The porch retains its original barrel ceiling with moulded ribs and
carved bosses and wall-plates. South doorway has chamfered 4-centred granite arch
with cushion stops. Stone seats either side are probably not original. Holy water
stoup on north wall of porch.
Nave has 5 bay arcade either side with Beer-stone Pevsner Type A piers which have
been raised up on rough square stone bases, presumably because they were found to be
not long enough. Carved foliage on capitals, each one is different, the left hand
one, to the north aisle, also has the face of a man, reputedly the Green Man. The
moulding on the piers is continued round the 4-centred arches. Very tall pointed
voussoir stone tower arch on 2 rows with plain jambs. To its right is chamfered
stone doorway with ogee head leading to tower staircase. Some way above this is
small lancet window to stairs. Original chamfered rear arches to windows.
No chancel arch. Sanctuary is narrower than the rest of the chancel and the nave.
In the south wall of the chancel is piscina and a Sedilia in 3 sections, each with
chamfered pointed arch stone surround.
The barrel ceiling to the nave appears to be a complete restoration dating probably
from 1896-8. The barrel ceilings to the aisles have also been restored but re-using
most of the original moulded ribs, carved bosses and wall-plates which still retain
some of their old colour. In 1880 the chancel was given a new roof but here also
some of the old moulded timbers appear to have been re-used in the sanctuary.
C15 rood screen, Pevsner Type B, extends across nave and both aisles with
Perpendicular tracery above panels divided by cinquefoil headed lights with
quatrefoils below. The original doors survive but the screen was heavily restored
in 1903 when the cornice and coving were completely renewed. Rood stairs survive on
north wall with original doorways. Circa late C15 parclose screen to north and
south, both have Perpendicular tracery to lights, ogee headed doorways and
battlements at the tracery to lights, ogee headed doorways and battlements at the
top. Lining the walls of each aisle is C18 fielded panel wainscotting.
C15 octagonal Beer stone font has carved panels with crossed key and sword
decoration. Soffit is carved with cinquefoil headed panels and pedestal has round-
headed panels carved on it.
In 1877 a gallery at the west end was removed. The church was re-seated in 1876 by
J Chudleigh. The pulpit dates from 1903.
On the floor at the front of the north aisle are 2 slate ledger-stones dated 1642
and 1712. At the front of the south aisle is one dated 1647 and one of 1643.
Further down the south aisle is a slate ledge-stone carved with skull and cross
bones and dated 1703. On the chancel floor are several Cl7 and C18 ledge-stones.
On the north wall of the chancel is an elaborate slate memorial to Robert Warreying
and his wife Ellinor, each name is in a circle with clasped hands joining the 2.
Dated 1654 and 1656 with a good rhyming epitaph beneath. The only fragment of old
glass survives in the most westerly window of the south aisle which bears the
armorial shield of John Rowe who died in 1544 and was Lord of the Manor of
Sparkwell, Kingston and Staverton, which at that time included much of
Broadhempston.
Sources: Devon C19 Churches Project. White's Directory 1878.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
84758
Legacy System:
LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
End of official list entry
