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Summary

First referred to in 1198. In the 13th century the Norman building was enlarged. Rebuilt following lightning damage in 1395. Tower is circa 1500.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1163892: CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5057
• National Monuments Record: 895575
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS31SW/2
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (Early Medieval to XVIII - 1066 AD to 1800 AD) + Sci.Date

Full description

Collacott, C. T., Bradworthy Parish Church (Leaflet). SDV16801.

First documentary ref 1198. In 13th century the Norman building was enlarged, the new church being cruciform. Another rebuilding was completed by 1400, following lightning damage in 1395. West tower is circa 1500. Church consists of nave, chancel and 13th century south transcept. Flooring in chancel is of encaustic tiles of mid 16th century. Font is probably 12th century.

Watkin, H. R., 1926 - 1927, William Briwer, 193 (Article in Serial). SDV16799.

William Briwer, died 1226, gave Bradworthy church to Torre Abbey.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: North Devon, 57-8 (Monograph). SDV336196.

Bradworthy church late 13th - early 16th century building. Font, pulpit, reredos, and tiles briefly described.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 344 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Collacott, C. T., 1965 - 1967, Bradworthy Soldiers and Centenarians, 169 (Article in Serial). SDV16800.

Author discusses some headstones from the graveyard.

Keen, L., 1969, A Series of Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Lead-Glazed Relief Tiles from North Devon, 144-170 (Article in Serial). SDV15342.

Keen notes post-medieval relief tiles from North Devon which can be seen in Bradworthy parish church.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/BM, 10, 11 (Aerial Photograph). SDV7381.

Department of Environment, 1989, Bradworthy, 7 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV16910.

Church of St. John the Baptist.
Parish church. Thirteenth century. Restored after being struck by lightning, and chancel enlarged 1400. Tower added circa 1500, Church gutted by fire and restored 18th century, restored again and reseated in 1840. Nineteenth century vestry. Church restored and re-roofed 1883-4, tower restored 1897. Ramdom rubble local stone, squared and coursed to tower, slate roofs, that of south transept higher than the nave with offsets on tower indicating pitch of earlier nave roof, decorative bargeboards to gabled slate-roofed porch. Undivided chancel and aisles nave, South transept, manorial pew projection on site of north transept, west tower.
Crenellated and unbuttressed 3-stage tower with crocketed finials, 2-light bell-openings, square-headed openings to stair on west front, 3-light west window, depressed arch to west door with square hoodmould and labels, strongly moulded dado and plinth.
South front: 2-light cinquefoil headed window, roundheaded arch to 19th century porch with reset sundial, boarded roof, south door opening circa1400, 18th century door, 3-light cinquefoil headed window to right, similar to south transept, 2-light trefoil-headed window on east face of transept, 2-light uncusped window to chancel, priest's door adjoining, 3-light cinquefoil headed east window, north front 2-light cinquefoil-headed window to chancel, similar to manorial pew projection, 3-light uncusped window adjoining blocked 19th century porch, cinquefoil-headed 2-light window to west interior rendered, 19th century painted scroll above east window, vestry render grooved as ashlar, West end exposed rubble, 19th century panelled dado to nave and transept.
Ribbed and ceiled barrel vault to chancel, arch braced roof to nave. No chancel arch, tower arch double chamfer dying into imposts. Unmoulded 2-centred arches to south transept and north pew. Chamfered 2-centred arch opening to piscina in chancel flanked with small niches for candles. Eighteenth century raised and fielded panelling to manorial pew known as the Berridon pew.
Octagonal pulpit circa 1700 with a frieze of winged putti and acanthus volutes, and a dado of bay leaves, turned balusters where originally there were panels. Reredos dated 1923 in memory of C. P. C. Griffin, earlier 18th/19th century possibly reused. Sixteenth century Barnstaple tiles in chancel and around font.
Square Norman font on 5 circular columns. Royal Coat of Arms of George III above north door.
Monuments: slate tablet to Ann Nichols died 1696 in voluted frame with swan neck pediment and putti; slate tablet to Thomas Cholwell died 1681 and his wife, died 1714, architectural frame surmounted by urn with flowers and leaves. Nineteenth century stained glass in south transept, in nave dated 1909 in south west window, in south east 1898. The so-called Berridon Pew of the Griffin family may be the remains of the north transept, or possibly a tomb niche.(Berridon is a 19th century estate).
There are a large number of fine 18th century and 19th century slate headstones in the churchyard.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/MP, 5, 6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV337149.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 202 (Monograph). SDV325629.

English Heritage, 2003, Centre for Archaeology Report Summaries Volume 5: January to June 2003, 2 (Report - non-specific). SDV16817.

Other details: January-June 2003.

Tyers, I., 2003, Tree Ring Analysis of the Oak Timbers from the South Transept and Nave Roofs of the Church of St. John the Baptist, Bradworthy (Report - non-specific). SDV16803.

2003, Tree ring date lists 2003 (Article in Serial). SDV361608.

Bradworthy, Church of St John the Baptist (SS 3256 1398). Tree ring dates listed for the nave roof (felling date range: 1383-1413) and South transept roof, sole pieces of earlier roof (felling date: after 1334).

Bradley, J. + Gaimster, M., 2004, Medieval Britain and Ireland in 2003, 252-253 (Article in Serial). SDV342122.

Bradworthy, Church of St John the Baptist. Exeter Archaeology recorded the roof at the west end of the nave during repairs to the tower and nave roof in 2002 for the PCC and English Heritage.

Tyers, I., 2004, Tree Ring Analysis of Oak Timbers from Dartmouth Castle (Report - non-specific). SDV173205.

Tree ring analysis of oak timbers from the south transept and nave roofs. Dendrochronological analysis has confirmed that these timbers should relate to the period of roof reconstruction in the late 14th century following lightning damage.

2004, Tree ring date lists 2004 (Article in Serial). SDV361593.

Noted.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV581 - MP 5, 6
• EDV582 - BM 10, 11

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