Church of St Bridget

Details

BRIDESTOWE BRIDESTOWE SX 59 NW

12/69 Church of St. Bridget -

22.2.67

GV II*

Parish church. C15, base of tower may be slightly earlier. Restored in circa 1820, 1866 and 1890. The tower is of local stone rubble construction, the aisles, porch and chancel are of granite ashlar. The chancel has a gable-ended slate roof; corrugated plastic sheeting to nave and aisle. Plan: nave, north and south aisles, west tower and south porch. Mainly C15 but the tower may have earlier origins. The church has suffered savage C19 restorations starting probably in circa 1820 judging from the comments of Revd. Coryndon Luxmore who wrote in circa 1820 "the church has undergone very considerable repairs within the last 10 years" and went onto recount the "old windows were replaced by new about 4 years since" and "the tower lately has been raised many feet and is now 40" high with battlements and pinnacles upon it". He describes the rood screen which was then in situ but was removed in 1869. The chancel was restored and the vestry added in 1866. The church was further partially restored in 1890 by Fulford and Harvey of Exeter and in 1900 renovations were carried out to mullions and pinnacles and much plaster was removed. 3-stage unbuttressed west tower, battered at the bottom. The top was rebuilt in the C19 and is battlemented with pinnacles. The west window is in the Decorated style and has a pointed arched doorway below - both date from the C19 restoration. The north aisle has 4 granite ashlar buttresses between 3-windows which are all 3-light C19 restorations in the Decorated style. Towards the right-hand end the head of a wide blocked arch is visible. At the east end of the aisle is a similar style 2- light window. Built against the north wall of the chancel is the vestry added in 1866. The chancel has set-back buttresses. Its east window is a 3-light C19 restoration with Perpendicular tracery. Similar 2-light window on south side of chancel. The south aisle has a coved granite cornice and has identical windows to the north aisle with buttresses between; blocked window to west of porch. Gabled single storey south porch has round-headed granite doorway rebated in chamfered surround with worn roll and hollow moulding and carving in spandrels. Interior: The porch is floored with slates set on edge in small squares to form a checker design. Completely restored wagon roof. 4-centred arched granite south doorway with worn double hollow moulding. Both arcades have been completely rebuilt in Perpendicular style. 4-centred chancel arch of Polyphant stone resting on brackets. Unmoulded tower arch. The nave and aisle roofs are ceiled but probably have wagon roofs although not necessarily original. The chancel has a restored wagon roof. The base of the screen has been preserved but in very fragmentary form, reusing the tracery in the panels. The benches are all C19 or early C20. On the north wall of the chancel is a good wall memorial of 1665 to Lady Honor Calmady. There is a rhyming epitaph below the inscription. Either side of the plaque is an Ionic column and there is a moulded cornice which breaks forward above the columns; a heraldic shield rests above on each side with a more ornamental shield and coat of arms at the centre. Set into the floor of the chancel is a slate memorial slab to Thomas and Henry Burneford who died 1727 and 1757. Rhyming epitaph and carved skull and cross-bones below flanked by a winged angel's head. Sources: Beatrix Cresswell - Churches in the Deanery of Okehamnton; White's Directory 1878: Kelly's Directory 1902.

Listing NGR: SX5135389430

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

94312

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Cresswell, B F, Notes on Devon Churches in the Deanery of Okehampton, (1906)
Whites Directory in Whites Directory, (1878)
Kelly's Directory in Kelly's Directory, (1902)

End of official list entry

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