Church of the Holy Trinity

Details

SX 68 NE GIDLEIGH GIDLEIGH

3/193 Church of the Holy Trinity - 22.2.67 GV I

Parish Church of modest size. Saxon or Norman origins, completely rebuilt in late C15 -early C16, some C17 windows and C19 additions. Large coursed blocks of granite ashlar with some granite stone rubble patching; granite ashlar detail, most of it original; slate roof (formerly thatch). Plan: ostensibly a single phase church although the tower maybe earlier. Nave and chancel under a continuous roof; south aisle to nave only with C19 vestry added to west end; west tower with internal stair; north doorway behind C19 porch. Exterior: tall unbuttressed west tower of 2 stages with embattled parapet, missing its corner pinnacles. 2-light belfry windows and west side has a 2-centred arch doorway with moulded surround below a 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery. Nave and chancel have mostly square-headed 2-light windows; the lights are round- headed and there are sunken spandrels with hoodmoulds. One in the nave replaced by a tall C17 3-light window with chamfered mullions. East end of chancel has a 3- light window with elliptical head and hoodmould, the centre light only has a pointed arch head. Similar windows to south aisle. C19 vestry flat-topped with embattled parapet and Transitional-style detail. Priests door in north side of chancel is a segmental pointed arch. C19 gabled north porch with roof of granite slabs has Norman style outer arch and similar north doorway. All the doors replaced in C19. Along the side of the nave a number of C17 and early C18 graveslabs have been set upright; all are clearly legible. Interior: nave and chancel have late C15-early C16 continuous ceiled wagon roof. In the nave only the ridge purlin shows but chancel has moulded ribs and purlins with some plain (maybe C19 replacement) carved bosses. The south aisle roof is the same as the nave. Tall chamfered tower arch. 3-bay arcade with monolithic octagonal piers with soffit-chamfered caps and low arches with double chamfered arch rings. Plastered walls. The reredos (formerly from Church of St. Michael, Chagford) was made in 1868, pulpit and lecturn were made in 1853; all are granite and carved in Gothic style by John Agget. They are most unusual. C19 oak wainscotting in sanctuary C16 in style. Plain C19 Gothic timber altar rail and stalls and nave seating now C20 chairs. South chapel altar is a C17 oak table with heavy turned legs. C15 granite font with octagonal bowl, moulded stem and chamfered plinth with probably C17 ogival oak hood. Oak chancel screen is also original, but was altered in mid or late C16. It is 5 bays with central doorway. Blind ogival tracery on wainscotting and windows have delicate Perpendicular tracery (Persner's Type A). It seems that when rood gallery was removed (blocked door to stairs on north side) the coved parapet was removed. Spandrels then filled with applied foliate motifs separated by distinctively carved posts, all Renaissance in style. 2 bands of the original undercut frieze reused but some secondary gessowork. Rear is devoid of ornamentation and thankfully missing the C19 paint which adorns the front complete with transfer pictures of saints. No memorials. East window of aisle includes some C15 glass featuring fragments of St. John and Our Lady with flowers in a delicate grisaille. An attractive and little modernised Dartmoor church. Source. Church guide.

Listing NGR: SX6706588382

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

94723

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LBS

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