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Summary

St Nonna Parish Church at Bradstone with 12th century origins and 13th to 15th century features. The church was restored in the 19th century

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1326684: CHURCH OF ST NONNA

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 15898
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX38SE/10
• Old Listed Building Ref (I)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Department of Environment, 07/11/1985, Bradstone, 7-8 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337775.

Church of St Nonna at Bradstone. Circa 12th century origins with possibly nave, south door and chancel of that date. 13th century tracery in south wall of chancel, possibly contemporary with dedication by Bishop Brondescombe in 1261. Nave and chancel heightened and north aisle added circa 15th century. Circa 15th century west tower. Stone rubble nave and chancel with east wall of chancel partly rebuilt. Ashlar north aisle, west tower and south porch. Moulded plinth to north aisle and west tower. Ragslate roofs with nave and chancel in one. See DoE list for full details.

Kerslake, T., 1877, Traces of the Ancient Kingdom of Dumnonia outside Cornwall, 417 (Article in Serial). SDV5885.

Survival of ancient Celtic dedication is noted.

Chanter, J. F., 1910, Christianity in Devon before AD 909, 491 (Article in Serial). SDV870.

Langdon, A. G., 1910 - 1911, The Norman Doorway at South Petherwin, Cornwall, 147 (Article in Serial). SDV337783.

There is a Norman doorway at Bradstone chuch. It had the 'Perpendicular Treatment'.

Sherwin, C., 1922 - 1923, The Grin of Arius, 202 (Article in Serial). SDV337773.

A carved head on a corbel on the south wall of the chancel is said by Sherwin to represent 'The Grin of Arius'.

Cresswell, B. F., 1922 - 1923, The Grin of Arius, 271-2 (Article in Serial). SDV337774.

Cresswell argues that it is a Norman mask which survives from an earlier church on the site and is thus almost the only ancient feature of the building.

Chanter, J. F., 1922 - 1923, The Grin of Arius, 272 (Article in Serial). SDV337779.

Fryer Cornelius, C., 1952, Ancient Churches of the Tavistock Deanery, Devon, 47-72 (Article in Serial). SDV18005.

12th century nave, 13th century chancel. West Devon type of tower, original wagon roofs plaster ceiled. Local octagonal font, primitive triangular stoup. Grotesque sculpture set on inside face of chancel may be 12th century. No ancient fittings remain today, although reference made in 1844 to ancient rood screen and nave benches.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: South Devon, 60 (Monograph). SDV336217.

Church plate given by Cloberry family.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 343 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Parish church of St Nonne, (St Non was the mother of St David), mostly a 16th century building with a 12th century doorway which was uncovered in 1888.

Council for the Care of Churches, 1994, Bradstone, St Nonna, Devon (Exeter) (Report - Survey). SDV337780.

The nave, south doorway & chancel appear to be of 12th century origin. The south chancel windws have 13th century tracery possibly contemporary with the dedication of the church by Bishop Brondescombe in 1261.The nave & Chancel walls were heightened in the 15th century when the north aisle & west tower were added. The church was restored circa 1860. the interior of the church consists of the two parallel sections of the nave & chancel & the north aisle which is narrower than the nave. The octagonal font is of the 13th century with other furnishings & fittings of the 19th & 20th centuries.

Dyer, M. J. + Manning, P. T., 1998, Objective 5B: Lower Tamar Valley Recreation and Land Management Iinitiative: Cultural Heritage Appraisal, 5 (Report - non-specific). SDV319814.

Dedicated to St Non(na), a 5th century Welsh saint, the mother of St David, who died at Altarnun in Cornwall. Parts of wall painting showing leaf pattern exposed in chancel behind altar. Barrel roof of porch has central boss of green man with foliage springing from mouth. Church is 'redundant' and in care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

Keystone Historic Buildings Consultants, 2000, Bradstone Manor, Bradstone, 4 (Report - Survey). SDV337778.

Pearce, S. M., 2012, Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Sites in South-western Britain: their dates, characters and significance, 81 - 108 (Article in Serial). SDV361501.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1326684 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

Church of St Nonna. Parish church. Circa C12 origins with possibly nave, south door and chancel of that date. C13 tracery in south wall of chancel, possibly contemporary with dedication by Bishop Brondescombe in 1261. Nave and chancel heightened and north aisle added circa C15. Circa C15 west tower. Stone rubble nave and chancel with east wall of chancel partly rebuilt. Ashlar north aisle, west tower and south porch. Moulded plinth to north aisle and west tower. Ragslate roofs with nave and chancel in one. West tower of 3 stages with battlemented parapet and octagonal, crenellated turrets with heavy crocketted pinnacles. Surmounted by 3 stone crosses. Fourth cross in south porch. Angle buttresses. West door with 4-centred arch with hood. 3-light Perpendicular tracery above in 4-centred arch with hood. South side with lancet window with cusped head and rectangular hood. 2-light belfry openings on 4 faces with cusped heads. Slate tracery with ventilation holes. North aisle with 3-light Perpendicular tracery beneath 4-centred arches with hoodmoulds in west window, 2 north aisle windows and east north aisle window. Blocked north door with segmental arch with incised triangles in spandrels. Rectangular hood. East wall of chancel partly rebuilt with 3-light perpendicular window with cusped heads. South wall of chancel with 2, circa C13 single cusped lancel windows in earlier round rear arches on interior. Low buttress between. Larger stepped buttress to west with Perpendicular 3-light window beneath segmental arch. Probably contemporary with raising of south nave and chancel walls. Gabled south porch with moulded 2-centred arch. Inner south door in taller partly blocked Norman arch. Latter with simply moulded arch and tall thin engaged round columns (once decorated) with stylized cushion capitals. Within, 2-centred moulded arch. Circa C15 waggon roof to nave, sealed with moulded ribs and carved bosses. Renewed to chancel with partly renewed bosses. North aisle waggon roof, circa C15. Moulded ribs with carved bosses and carved wall plate. Renewed arcade plate. One of bosses carved with datestone 1718. Possibly date of a restoration. Waggon roof to south porch partly renewed. Part of earlier roof possibly lying outside against south wall of nave. Porch roof with remains of earlier wall plate, moulded ribs and some carved bosses. Central boss with well carved figure head. 4- bay north aisle with Cornish type A (Pevsner) granite moulded piers. Moulded bases and capitals with castellated abacci. C19 Furnishings. Circa C13 octagonal font with round bowl. Very simple Holy water stoup on south wall of nave comprising 3 pieces of thin blue limestone laid in a triangle. Square bowl. Possibly C12. Carved head, also possibly C12, on south wall between 2 lancet windows. Remains of rood loft stair on north wall. 6 bells. 5 recast in 1827, the sixth added in 1928. Several reset slate lids to tombchests on exterior of south proch and nave including those to John Cumbe, 1604, Robert Coumbe 1743 and Anna 1750. Watercolour by Rev. Thomas Johnes, circa 1825, illustrates the interior of the church prior to restoration. It shows several of the bench ends are decorated with circa C15 carvings. Also depicts a tall pulpit, the font with a tall cover and a rood screen surmounted by Royal Arms, the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. N Pevsner The Buildings of England. Devon Church guide.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4154 - Bradstone, St Nonna, Devon (Exeter)

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