Church of Saint Manacca

Details

SW 72 NE MANACCAN MANACCAN

2/93 Church of Saint Manacca 10.7.57 GV I

Parish church. C12 and C15. Shale rubble walls with mostly granite dressings. Dry Delabole slate roofs with gable ends, those to north aisle coped. Nave and chancel under one roof, west tower, north aisle, north vestry at north doorway, rood-stair turret, south transept. Originally probably cruciform plan in the C12, southern half of nave and transept survive. Tower with pointed doorway probably begun C14, completed C15, north aisle C15 and vestry C19. 2 stage west tower with plinth, string dividing stages and string below embattled parapet. Pointed arched west doorway with hoodmould and carved heads as stops; C15 Perpendicular 2-light window with trefoil headed lights and quatrefoil tracery over. Similar window to each side of upper stage, but louvred; all with hood-moulds and relieving arches. North aisle has C15 3-light windows arched with tracery to gable ends and flat-headed to north wall, all with cinquefoil headed lights and latticed leaded glazing. North wall has 2 windows left of rood stair turret, 2 between stair and north doorway and one to right of doorway. The window right of the stair has a relieving arch, all the windows are arched inside, perhaps there was a change of plan. C19 vestry in front of doorway. C18 and C19 wall monuments left of stair: Lawrence, son of Richard and Mary Polwhele. Sarah, daughter of Edward Budge; John Olivey died 1774 and children. 3-light east window of chancel is late C19. South wall has south transept gable end projecting at middle, Norman doorway left of transept C15 2-light window left of doorway (similar to those of north wall) and 2 C13 lancets to right of transept. South gable of transept has C15 2-light arch window like those of tower and reset C13 lancet to east wall. The lower parts of the south wall are C12 and from the left-hand corner grows a very old fig tree. The south doorway is in situ up to impost height but rebuilt above using the C12 carved voussoirs; 3 orders, nook shafts to jambs, scalloped capitals and cogged band to outer orders of arch; masons marks on east capital and mass-dial below (church guide). Reset corbel and cross above doorway. Interior 6-bay C15 granite arcade between nave/chancel and north aisle with standard A (Pevsner) piers and 4-centred arches springing from moulded capitals. Squint between south transept and chancel, with hollow chamfered pier with pyramid stops. Carved C12 impost stone reused as quoin in opposite corner. Rood stair with basket arched doorway. Circa C13 stoup with pointed granite and elvan arch east of south doorway and pointed arched piscina to south wall of chancel and another with pyramid stops to east wall of transept. C19 open waggon roofs with the narrower roof over the chancel carried on moulded C15 granite corbels at the north side. Steep 4-centred tower arch and rear arch to west window of tower. Coloured clay tile floor. Fittings: Round granite font possibly late medieval, copy of Norman original; painted letter of thanks from Charles I, while at his camp at Suddely Castle, 1643; C19 oak pulpit incorporating carved fragments of the C15 waggon roof, and other C19 fittings. Richard Polwhele, vicar of Manaccan 1794-1822, is well known for his histories of Devon and Cornwall, (monument to his son Lawrence on north wall); also a poet and friend of Sir Walter Scott and he is said to have befriended Captain Bligh. (Church Guide).

Listing NGR: SW7639425030

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

65257

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Church of Saint Manacca Church Guide, ()

End of official list entry

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