Church of St Stephen

Details

SS31NE WEST PUTFORD CP VILLAGE CENTRE

3/64 Church of St Stephen

14.2.58

GV I

Anglican parish Church. Late C13-early C14, subsequently refenestrated in parts, tower c1400, upper stage possibly C16 addition, floors tiles early C16, south door dated 1620, tower rebuilt using old masonry in 1883, chancel reroofed and porch added late C19, church restored 1929-30, tower restored again c1980 when the parapets were rebuilt and the roof and floors were relaid. 1880s restoration by S.Eooper of Hatherleigh, 1920s restoration by Harbottle Reed. Coursed and roughly dressed local stone, remains of render on nave, slate roofs. Plan: chancel, north and south transepts, nave and west tower. Three stage unbuttressed, crenellated tower with plain pinnacles, 3-light west window with continuous hoodmould, west door with unusual stops to moulded, round-headed opening which, like the plank door, presumably dates from the 1880s restoration; nave buttressed at west end, 2-light trefoil-headed window to left of gabled porch, unmoulded arched opening with double wrought-iron gates, open ribbed barrel vault roof, holy water stoup in right jamb of chamfered arch opening, ribbed door dated 1620; 3-light cinquefoil-headed window under square hoodmould to right; 2-light uncusped window to south transept, similar 3-light window in east wall blocked in lower portion, chancel with 3-light cinquefoil-headed window under square hoodmould, C19 3-light East window, 3-light pointed arch window in wall of north transept, the lower portion of which has been blocked, 2-light cinquefoil-headed on north front of transept, north wall of nave unlit except for a tiny 2-light square-headed opening east of the blocked north door. Interior: rendered, exposed masonry in tower. No chancel arch, moulded tie beam to north transept with carved corbel in chancel wall, tie beam to south transept; tower arch tall and narrow, depressed pointed arched opening chamfered in 2 orders. Roofs: C19 scissorbrace roof to chancel, late medieval elsewehere: north transept, ribbed and plastered barrel vault with moulded wallplate, south transept plastered barrel vault with a section of moulded wallplate, nave ceiled and plastered wagon roof with moulded wallplate. Ogee-headed piscina in south transept; no rere arch to east window. Round headed doorway to roodstair in north transept, stair destroyed, evidence of niches in jambs of east window. Norman font of the girdle tub-type with cable moulding between bowl and plinth. Large number of encaustic tiles made in Barnstaple in early C16 with a variety of devices. C18 twisted baluster altar rails, pulpit composed of similar twisted balusters, possibly reworked. Painted Royal Coat of Arms dated 1714. Altar table, choir stalls, benches and lectern early C20, a few remnants of the earlier bench ends survive. Good monument to the two wives of Anthony Gregory, rector, died 1681 and 1689: an oval tablet surrounded by cherubs heads; good incised slate tomb slabs to Robert Kill, died 1711, with coat of arms, and to William Braund, died 1710; others to William Kill, died 1663 and Jno. Gifford, died 1788; Joan Short, died 1642, and an unidentified one with gothic lettering. Fine collection of C18 and C19 slate headstones in churchyard. A rare example of a church that survived the C19 largely untouched and underwent a conservative restoration following SPAD principles in the early C20. (Kelly's Directory, conservative restoration following SPAB principles in the early C20. (Kelly's Directory, 1889; Cherry and Pevsner, The Buildings of England, Devon, forthcoming.)

Listing NGR: SS3589815662

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

91971

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Devon, (1989)
Kelly's Directory in Kelly's Directory, (1889)

End of official list entry

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