Description

FENITON FENITON
SY 19 NW
7/56 Church of St Andrew
22.2.55
GV II*

Parish church. Norman origins, but rebuilt in more than one phase in the C15, and
early C16; major renovation of 1877. Local stone and flint rubble, the north
transept is coursed blocks of dressed flint; limestone, sandstone and Bathstone
quoins and detail; slate roof.
Plan: nave and chancel, full length south aisle which includes the Patteson Chapel.
West tower and porch in the angle of the tower and south aisle. North transept and
vestry to north of the chancel.
Exterior: low unbuttressed tower of 2 stages with embattled parapet which once had
corner pinnacles. Semi-hexagonal stair turret on the north side. Large unusual
carved gargoyles. Large replacement belfry windows with Perpendicular tracery. The
west doorway is 2-centred arch with moulded surround and hoodmould and above it is a
3-light window with Perpendicular tracery and a hoodmould. Lean-to porch on west
end of the aisle has diagonal buttresses and contains a 2-centred arch doorway with
moulded surround and hoodmould with label stops carved as human heads. The church
door behind (into the west end of the aisle) is a low Tudor arch. South aisle has a
6-window front of 3-light windows with Perpendicular tracery separated by limestone
ashlar buttresses. The east chapel windows are distinguished by volcanic ashlar
voussoirs. Priest's doorway has a small Tudor arch with carved foliate spandrels.
The east window has a 3-centred arch with cusped Y-tracery. The east chancel window
is C19; Hamstone with distinctive Perpendicular tracery. The vestry is C19 and
Gothic in style. The north transept has diagonal buttresses and the end window is
probably early C19, a 2-centred arch head with single vertical mullion. The north
side of the nave has 2 Hamstone windows with Perpendicular tracery.
Interior: is largely the result of the 1877 renovation. The nave is a ceiled wagon
roof with moulded ribs. and purlins. It is probably C15 or C16 but is much mended.
Similar roof in chancel is neater and probably C19. South aisle and north transept
have C19 roofs. Tall tower arch with double chamfered arch ring. C19 timber
chancel arch with open cusped cresting. Beerstone 5-bay arcade (one overlapping the
chancel) with moulded piers (Pevsner's type B) and carved capitals. Remains of
stoup alongside the doorway. The walls are plastered. Flag floor including some
old graveslabs.
C19 panelled oak reredos with Gothic ornamentation. C19 oak altar is made up of
panels carved like C15 bench ends. C19 oak altar rail and Gothic style oak stalls.
Fine late C15 oak rood screen. It is divided into 2 sections by the arcade, 5 to
the nave and 3 to the aisle. It is richly carved with Perpendicular blind arcading
to the wainscotting. The windows have Perpendicular tracery (Pevsners's type A),
the coved vault has Gothic decoration and there is a frieze of 3 bands of delicately
undercut carved foliage. The rear coving is missing since the screen had been used
as a reredos before it was restored to its original position in 1877. Plainer
parclose screen in slightly different style. Pulpit and lectern are both late C19
oak with carved Gothic surround. The oak benches are mostly C19 with their ends
carved in C15 style but some are original with tiers of blind tracery carved on the
bench ends. Late C19 limestone font in Perpendicular style. C20 tower screen. An
old oak chest in the nave is dated 1681.
Memorials: a very well-preserved and high quality Beerstone chest tomb has been
reset in a niche to the north of the sanctuary. The chest has a frieze of
quatrefoils and on top lies the effigy of an emaciated cadaver partly covered by a
shroud. There is nothing to indicate who this represented. The church guide
suggests Sir William Fry (d. 1427) but some consider the tomb earlier. The other
monuments are C19 and of little more than local interest, except for the graveslab
in memory of John Coleridge Patteson, the missionary bishop who died in Melanesia in
1871. The chapel was rededicated in his memory during the 1877 renovation.
There is some good C19 glass particularly the east chancel window and the tower
window.
Sources: Devon SMR. Church guide. Devon C19 Church Project.

Listing NGR: SY1086399420

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17547471

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

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)