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Summary

Parish church, west tower circa 1400 , remainder rebuilt circa 1450, with chapel of circa 1520. Chancel restored 1874.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1308643: CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5090
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX86SE/16

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137587.

Gibbs, r. /dcnq/3(1904-5)216-7/compton castle.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137588.

Walker, h. H. /tda/96(1968)146/occombe in the parish of marldon.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137589.

Bond, f. B. /tda/35(1903)474/devonshire screens and rood lofts.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137590.

Cornelius, c. F. /tda/79(1947)85/fittings, furnishings and finishings of the ancient devon parish churches within a ten-mile radius of newton abbot.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137591.

Hoskins, w. G. /devon/(1954)432.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137592.

Cornelius, c. F. /tda/78(1946)123-152/parish churches within ten miles radius of newton abbot.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137593.

Cornelius, c. F. /tda/83(1951)217-234/medieval effigies and other memorials.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137594.

Thompson, a. H. /arch j. /70(1913)471,491/church architecture in devon.

Fryer Cornelius, C., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV304524.

St. John the baptist. The chapel of ease, referred to by bishop grandisson on july 17th.1348. During the late 15th. Century it was rebuilt on a larger scale by the gilberts of compton castle whose arms are carved in stone on a boss of the south groining of the south porch. A fragment of the gilbert shield formerly existed in the tracery of a window of the north aisle, along with the escutcheons of valletort, huxham and champerknowne, all related by marriage. This church possesses most elegant arcading, but its carved stone screen, dividing nave and chancel, was taken down about 1830, and the stones deposited in a cellar under the old vestry. During the restoration of the church between 1884-1889, they were removed and used for repairing the walls, filling, etc. A stone effigy of a knight in armour, formerly attached to the screen, remains in the church (cornelius).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV335.

The oldest part of church is the west tower, of circa 1400 (hoskins).

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

English Heritage, 2013, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV350785.

Parish church. Circa 1400 west tower, remainder rebuilt circa 1450 with chapel of circa 1520. Chancel restored 1874. Dressed stone with freestone dressings. Slate and lead roofs. Nave and chancel in one with large C19 five-light Perpendicular east window. North and south aisles, south aisle extended to east in circa 1520 by John Gilbert to form the Compton Chapel. Embattled parapets and buttresses with set-offs rising to pinnacles with a batter, like obelisks. Rood stair turret on north side with battlements. Large four-light Perpendicu- lar traceried north and south windows appear to be all C19 replacements except for two large granite Perpendicular windows at east end of south aisle, and a smaller three-light Perpendicular window at the east end of south side of the south aisle (Compton Chapel). South doorway has quatrefoil spandrels. Two- storey porch also with battlements and finials and diagonal buttresses with set-offs. The porch is vaulted inside with moulded ribs and tiercerons and carved bosses with shields, foliage and rosettes. Tall unbuttressed west tower with slight batter, in three stages and with battlement and gargoyles and pinnacles over the corners only. Three-light bell openings with straight heads and labels. Polygonal stair turret on south side. C19 five-light west window with intersecting tracery and plain chamfered west doorway with hood mould. Interior: C15 five bay north and south arcades, the south arcade extended circa 1520 with two narrow bays to chancel chapel (Compton Chapel). Two-centred arcade arches on piers with four shafts with wavy moulding between, and leaf- frieze capitals. C19 boarded wagon roof. North and south aisles have flat roofs with moulded chamfered beams supported on stone corbels. Reset in south chancel chapel, probably from chancel, an earlier piscina with cusped ogee arch with quatrefoils in the spandrels and a shelf. Another larger piscina in the south aisle. In east bay of each arcade a canopied cenotaph to Otho Gilbert 1492 and his wife in the south one, and a small recumbent effigy in armour in the other. C15 octagonal font with panels containing quatrefoils and shields. Small Royal Arms of William IV under the tower. Fragments of the stone screen in room over the porch. Remainder of furnishings C19 and C20. Monuments: Wall monument to Ann Gilbert 1775. Some C17, C18 and C19 in incised tombstones. Reference: John Stabb, Some Old Devon Churches, Volume II, page 118 and 119. R F Cresswell, Notes on Devon Churches, Deanery of Ipplepen, pp.193 to 211.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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