Description

YARNSCOMBE YARNSCOMBE
SS 56 23
13/275 Parish Church of St Andrew
4.10.60
GV II*

Parish church. Probably C13 in origin, C15 south aisle and porch; restoration of
1846, including the addition of the vestry, refurbishment of 1884, long-term
restoration and repair programme in the 1970s and 1980s. Rough-squared. Stone rubble
with a slate roof and granite volcanic and freestone dressings.
Plan: The position of the transeptal north tower is unusual in the county: nave,
chancel, 4-bay granite south arcade, north-east vestry, south porch. C13 features
survive in the chancel and tower, the latter also said to have some traces of earlier
work. The south aisle and porch were added in the C15.
Exterior: The chancel has a probably C13 3-light Early English east window with
intersecting tracery, medieval masonry surviving on the exterior, the splayed
internal jambs probably a C19 rebuilding; 2-light square-headed cusped windows to the
north and south sides. The lean-to vestry on the north side is said to be 1846
(church guide) but re-uses a 2-light square-headed cuspid medieval east window. The
nave has a 3-light Perpendicular west window and a 2-light freestone Perpendicular
north window. 2 stage C13 transeptal north tower with diagonal buttresses,
battlements and corner pinnacles; round-headed window on the east side, cusped
belfry openings on north, west and east sides; polygonal stair turret on the west
side. The south aisle has 3-light Perpendicular east windows, three 3-light
Perpendicular granite windows, a rectangular rood loft stair turret and a doorway
into the south chancel chapel with a depressed segmental head. 3-light Perpendicular
east window. The south porch has a moulded granite outer doorframe with moulded
capitals below a late C18 slate sundial, the gnomon at an angle to take account of
the alignment of the church. The inner doorframe is also moulded granite; C19 floor
tiles and door, medieval ceiled wagon roof. There is a blocked west door to the
nave.
Interior: Plastered walls; chancel arch formed from the junction of the nave and
lower chancel roof with an asymmetrical arch supported on a large timber corbel on
the south side; plain pointed arch into the tower; 4-bay granite south arcade with
diagonally-set shafts to the piers, moulded capitals and shallow-moulded Tudor
arches. The western respond abuts a short section of plain wall that divides the
nave and aisle at the west end. Ceiled wagon roofs throughout, probably late
medieval, except the easternmost section in the nave which appears to be a C20
replacement. The rather odd black and white colour scheme, presumably C20 but rather
C17 in character, has obscured much of the carved detail on the roof. Both doorways
to the roof loft stair turret survive, the upper doorway plainer.
The chancel has a probable 1840s reredos with texts in stone frames; late C19 tiling
and a late C19 Communion rail with iron standards decorated with leaves. On the
north side a tomb recess (possibly an Easter Sepulchre) with carved spandrels and
blind tracery on the back, the arch decorated with fleurons. The remains of a
medieval figure survives on the back under a crocketted ogee arch - the figure may be
God the Father holding a miniature figure of the crucified Christ. A Purbeck marble
slab has been introduced into the recess, commemorating a member of the Cockworthy
family. Late C19 choir stalls with shaped ends and pierced tracery backs. The nave
has a good 1848 stone drum pulpit on a stem, the sides with tracery panels and a text
in carved Gothic script below the cornice, which is decorated with fleurons. C15
font, unusually well-preserved and unaltered with an octagonal bowl, the faces carved
alternately with trefoil-headed panels and quatrefoil, with an old lead lining. Tomb
recess in south wall of the aisle with carved spandrels and fleurons decorating the
arch. Numerous C16 and C17 ledger stones pave the nave and aisle with C19 tiled
borders. In the east end of the aisle late medieval Barnstaple tiles survive with a
variety of motifs. C19 nave and aisle benches with shaped ends. A probable C13 oak
chest with iron banding survives in the nave. The tower has a probably C13 2-centred
chamfered stone doorframe into the stair turret. Royal Arms of George IV.
Monuments: The chancel has a white marble wall monument with a brattished frame
commemorating Ann Loveband, died 1827. Late C17 wall monument to John Pollard, died
1667, with a Latin inscription and 2 busts in medallions. In the nave a wall
monument on the north wall commemorates John Loveband, died 1818. The monument looks
much earlier: black marble with reeded pilasters and an oval inscription tablet and
an urn above. In one of the roof panels above this monument a painted text has a
decorated plaster frame, the text reads "Let me die the death of the rightous (sic)
and let my last end be like his (Numbers 23c 10v)". A white marble wall plaque
commemorates Anthony Loveband of Northchurch, died 1826. Other early C19 white
plaques in the aisle commemorate other members of the Loveband family. At the east
end of the south aisle a slate ledger stone below the window with a Latin
inscription.
Glass: Clayton and Bell east window with a memorial date of 1867. In the east
window of the aisle fragment of C15 medieval stained glass include armorial bearings
and a winged figure.

Listing NGR: SS5616323600

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17536389

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)