Description

HARBERTON
SX7658-SX7758
14/409
Church of St Andrew
9.2.61

GV I

Parish church. C14 chancel, circa 1436 nave and north and south aisles, and
later Cl5 or early C16 west tower and south porch, restored in 1861 and 1871-2
and again in 1885 to 1886. Local slate rubble with red sandstone dressings,
Beerstone window and doorway to porch and Beerstone windows, many replaced in
C19 with Bathstone. Slate roofs, the roof over the chancel has a steeper
pitch.
Plan and development: The church comprises a chancel of C14, nave and north
and south aisles of circa 1436 and a west tower and south porch of later C15
or early C16. A church or oratory existed in the C12 (font). It belonged to
the Canons of Old Sarum who held West Alvington with its dependent chapels.
In 1245 the church was assigned to the Canons of St Peters Exeter who rebuilt
the church. The existing chancel is C14 but in 1436 Bishop Lacy granted an
indulgence to rebuilt the church. The nave and north and south aisles are of
that date and the west tower and south porch were built in the late C15 or
early C16. Davidson in 1847 mentions a gallery at the west end of the nave
which was still intact in 1903 inspite of the restorations of the church in
1861, 1871-2 and again in 1885-6 by Major Tristford of Tristford (qv).
Exterior: the chancel appears to be all that remains of the C14 church
although heavily restored in C19; it has a carved stone wall plate; there is
no plinth but the base of the walls is battered slightly and the priest's
door on the south side has a 2-centred arch with double ogee moulding. The
south window of the chancel is C19 Perpendicular style, of 3 lights and the
east window is also C19 Perpendicular of 4 lights.
West tower: the tall slightly tapered west tower in 3 stages with set back
buttresses with set-offs and continuous strip of stage levels; embattled
parapet and possibly C19 square pinnacles with crocketted finials; polygonal
stair turret of centre of the south side with battlements above the tower
parapet level; 2-light bell openings with cusped lights and straight heads
with hoodmoulds; 3-light Perpendicular west window appears to be C19
replacements; granite 2-centred arch west doorway with double ogee moulding.
The chamfered plinth continues into the north and south aisles which have
embattled parapets with moulded sandstone coping and cornice. The north
aisle has four 4-light Beerstone windows with segmental heads and
Perpendicular tracery with Y-bars, the east window on the north side has a
2-centred arch with 3-lights and Perpendicular tracery; similar 3-light east
and west windows of north aisle. Most of the north aisle tracery appears
to be original but the mullions have been replaced.
Between the windows on the north side there are slender buttresses with
set-offs and near the east end a polygonal rood stair turret with
battlements and small quatrefoil lights. The south aisle is similar to the
north aisle but without the rood stair turret, and all the windows have been
replaced in C19 in Bathstone except for the east window on the south side.
South porch is late C15 or early C16; 2 storeys and has battlements with
square crochetted finials, diagonal buttresses with set-offs, polygonal stair
turret in the west angle with the south aisle with quatrefoil lights and
a 2-centred arch doorway with composite moulding, quatrefoils and mouchettes
in-the spandrels all within outer order of moulding with a straight head
over which is a sundial with an ogee head and a 2-light square-headed
window. Holy water with ogee head on outside wall of the porch to left of
the doorway. Inside the porch a fine 2-bay ribbed vault with blind arcades
to the aides, the shafts have carved capitals and there are large carved
bosses at the intersections of the ribs. The inner south doorway has a 2-
centred arch with ogee, double ogee and hollow mouldings and cushion stops;
C19 door with strap hinges.
Interior: All the internal walls are plastered, much of which appears to be
old plaster. The tower interior is unplastered and the unmoulded 2-centred
tower arch has imposts at the springings. All the hollow chamfered rear
arches of the windows appear to be original.
Fine Beerstone north and south arcades with A type (Pevsner) piers, only the
shafts have capitals with foliage carving. Nave and chancel in one has a
ceiled waggon roof which appears to be C15 and has moulded wall plates and
ribs and carved bosses at the intersections, all painted. The narrow north
and south aisles also have waggon roofs but Tudor-arched and probably C19,
the carved bosses are probably reused from the earlier roof.
The chancel has trefoil headed piscina and a fine C14 triple sedilia with
crocketted ogee arches with crochetted pinnacles between. The late C19 stone
reredos adopts the same Decorated Motifs. An other piscina in south aisle.
C15 carved stone pulpit; octagonal with ornate shafts between 6 canopied
niches with poppyheads containing figures of saints. Norman font of red
sandstone, deep round bowl on low circular shaft; the bowl has a frieze of
10 medallions of star pattern, cable mould below and double fluting below
that. A carved lectern by Misses Pinwell given in 1911. The tower screen is
also by Misses Pinwell.
Restored rood screen extends across the church and has standard A-type
(Pevsner) tracery, pier casing with triple canopied niches and 2 friezes
of ornament in the cornice; restored in 1871 by Mrs Pendarves of Tristford
who painted new wainscot panels; some of the old painted panels are
displayed in the north aisle. Old parclose screen.
The benches may be the work of the 1861 reseating; they are made of softwood
with panelled traceried ends. The gallery of 1826 at the west end has been
removed. The oak choir stalls are later and have poppyheads. Late C19
wrought iron altar rail.
Carved Royal Arms of Queen Anne over south door. Hatchment in south aisle.
Monuments: In east end of south aisle Thomas Ridons, late C17 aedicule with
apron containing a swag and a skull and cross-bones, with skull with a
wreath. Another simplet wall monument with a latin inscription to Dorothea
Risdon, 1663. On the south side of the south aisle a wall monument to
Nicolai Browse 1696, a cartouche with a latin inscription. In the north aisle
a recumbent effigy of a youth "Tito", Robert Harvey, 1895, by H Hems.
Various other wall monuments.
Stained alass windows: Good window of 1861 in south aisle and another in east
window of south aisle of 1875. 2 good C19 windows in the north aisle. For
information on glass see Cresswell.
The bells were cast by Thomas Bilbie in 1762 and rehing in 1896 when the 4th
bell was recast.
Reference: B F Cresswell, Notes on Devon Churches, Deanery of Totnes, pp 150-
168.

Listing NGR: SX7783058647

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17526905

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.

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