Description

PARRACOMBE CHURCHTOWN, Parracombe
SS 64 SE
6/122 Church of St. Petrocks
-
25.2.65
GV I
Former Parish Church now redundant. C13 chancel and probably most of the fabric of
the west tower. Nave, south aisle and south porch late C15 or early C16. Interior
fittings almost entirely C17/C18. Unrestored in C19 as new church built on new site
nearer village (q.v.)
Stone rubble with ashlar dressings. Slate roofs.
Tower of 3 stages. Embattled parapet and crocketted pinnacles. Short angle
buttressses rising to second stage only. Built into the south-west buttress is a
stone bearing a quatrefoil above a trefoil headed blind traceried niche set on its
side to each face, said to have come from a former churchyard cross. Single round-
arched bell-openings with rough stone voussoirs on west and south faces, with much
narrower bell-openings to north and east side, all with slate louvres. Single
round-arched light to lower stage south side and straight-headed window opening to
2nd stage, north side. Plaque on south side records that tower, 5 windows, east
end, porch doors and pulpit were injured by lightning in 1908, and restored in same
year. Nave south side has a Perpendicular square-headed window of 2 lights with
labelled hoodmould to left of south porch. Depressed pointed arch with Pevsner A-
type moulded surround and hoodmould to porch doorway. Slate sundial above ceiled
waggon roof. 4-centred arched inner doorway with ogee-hollow-chamferd surround and
original ledged door of 4 planks, with cover strips and early iron handle and strap
hinges with bifurcated ribs.
2 Perpendicular straight-headed windows to right of porch of 3 lights each.
Hoodmoulds with returned ends. 2 stone plaques set in wall between them: RD RT 1685
and C W PP/SH/M. 4-centred arched priests doorway to right with hollow-moulded
surround. Slate wall monuments to right with inscription to Joseph Gammon (d.1801).
Perpendicular east window to south aisle of three lights with depressed pointed
arched hoodmould. Small C13 east window of chancel of pair of lancets. Straight-
headed timber windows of 2 round-arched lights to east and west sides of gable-ended
vestry. Clay belly chimneypot to brick stack. Perpendicular straight-headed window
of 3 lights with labelled hoodmould and possibly C17 ovolo-moulded stone mullion
window of 2 lights to north side of room.
Interior: remarkably intact C17/C18 interior fitting. Low depressed pointed tower
arch. Ceiling wagon roofs throughout those to nave and south aisle have variously
carved bosses at the intersections of the ribs and purlins. Perpendicular south
arcade of 4 bays with depressed pointed arches and Pevsner 'A' type piers with
standard leaf capitals, the chancel bay infilled with an unmoulded semi-circular
headed doorway cut through. Altar on raised plinth enclosed on three sides with
communion rails with stick balusters with trefoil-headed fretwork between and
kneeling boards. 2 slate floor slabs in front, that to left to William Newell (d
1696) and Reverend Richard Landon, Rector of Trentishoe (d.1776) that to right with
incised achievement to head and inscription to John Newell, Rector (d.1681). Wall
monument in segmental arched recessed above vestry door with fluted pilasters
flanking tablet with painted achievement above inscription to Samuel, seventh son of
John Flamant gent (d.1755) aged 12 days. Old benches with panelled backs to each
side of chancel. Low chancel screen, straight-headed, of four narrow lights to
left, 6 lights to right with cusped ogee arches and traceried heads. Above is a
timber boarded tympanum with the Lords Prayer, Ten Commandments and Creed in 4
panels and the Royal Arms above. Below Creed 'Walter Lock/Richard
Harton/Churchwardens 1758. Box pews complete to north side of nave and to tiered
west end, with 2 panelled doors, hinges and peg hooks. Rest of nave and south aisle
seated with probably C17 benches with moulded headrails. Pulpit of 3-decker type
with ministers reading desk and clerks seat attached. Pulpit has 6 principal facets
with 3 fielded panels to each facet end fluted frieze. Door with 3 fielded panels.
Octagonal sounding board above with painted soffit and verse 'We preach not
ourselves but Jesus Christ the Lord' around the sides.
Wall Monuments. Oval medallion with moulded surround to north side of nave with
painted verses from Exodus Ch. 25 v. 8, 1st Chronicles Ch. 29. v.1 and 1st Col. Ch.
14, v.40. Similar medallion over south doorway with verses from Ecclesiastes, Chap.5,
v.1 and Matthew, Ch.21 v.13. South aisle, south side, 3 C18 wall monuments with
timber architraves to Walter Lock (d.1663) and son (d.1732) to David Lock (d.1786),
and John Lock (d.1803).
Font: probably Norman with circular bowl set on 4 semi-circular half-shafts with
engaged colonnettes at the corners originally at Martinhoe Church and brought here
in 1908.

Listing NGR: SS6747244948

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Petrock's Church, Parracombe at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q7595387

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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