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Summary

St. George's church, morebath. Lower parts of west tower probably 13th century. Perpendicular nave and north aisle. Wagon-roof in the aisle (pevsner).

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1106898: CHURCH OF ST GEORGE

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5041
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS92NE/5
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (Early Medieval to XXI - 1066 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV177625.

St. George's church, morebath. Lower parts of west tower probably 13th century. Perpendicular nave and north aisle. Wagon-roof in the aisle (pevsner).

CRESSWELL, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV25789.

Morebath church had eight parochial 'stores', each with a shrine and altar, to accommodate increasingly elaborate ecclesiastical ceremonies in late middle ages (cresswell).

THOMPSON, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV26119.

Parish church of st. George. Tower possibly c13, north aisle c15, restoration 1874-5 by butterfield (thompson).

Department of Environment, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV327090.

Local stone rubble; slate roofs. West tower, nave, chancel, north aisle, vestry against south wall of chancel, south porch. Several late c18 and early c19 wall monuments in north aisle. See doe list for full details (doe).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV335.

Church is 15th c. And was badly over-restored in 1874-5. Has 13th c. Saddleback tower (hoskins).

JGMS, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV43223.

A mixture of ages and styles make-up morebath church. The tower unbuttressed and with narrow lancet windows, is very simple and was probably built before 1300; until 1875 it had a plain parapet top. The north aisle dates from about 1450: the stonework for the pillars, arches and windows came from beer quarries near seaton. A church account book of the 1530's gives details of the church at that time. Until 1534 there was no regular seating, but in that year barlynch priory gave two 'wokis' (oaks) and local farmers gave others, and the church was fitted with benches. After the dissolution one of the windows from barlynch priory was brought here, it was probably installed in the chancel. The roodloft, taken down in 1551, was rebuilt. During the c17 and c18 the nave was roofed with lead and the north aisle was slate; another part of the roof was thatched. There was a pulpit with a 'toyte' (hassock) and a 'singing gallery' at the west end. The seat of 1534 had been converted into box pews in 1775, when the remains of the roodloft had been replaced by a simple oak screen, the furnishings were mostly poor and the plain plastered ceiling of the chancel covered the top of the east window. The victorian architect, william butterfield, entirely rebuilt the nave, chancel, and south side of the church, moving the porch from the middle of the south side to the west end, and refurnishing the whole building: only the base of the font, its previously cracked bowl replaced by a very heavy one in shiny polished marble, remains, with some medieval floor tiles which were hidden under the high altar. The tower parapet was replaced by a gabled 'saddleback' roof unlike any in devon, and the new porch and windows of the south face. A new entrance was also made to the church from the road to the south. A new reredos was placed behind the high altar this century (jgms).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV43224.

Pevsner, n. /the buildings of england: north devon/(1952)126.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV43225.

Cresswell, b. F. /jbaa/33(1927)157/devonshire churches.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV43226.

Hoskins, w. G. /devon/(1954)440.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV43227.

Doe/hhr:morebath/(7/12/1987)87.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV43228.

Des=jgms/a guide and history of st. George's church,morebath/(nd)/in parish file.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1106898 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

Parish church. Tower possibly C13, north aisle C15, restoration 1874-5 by Butterfield (Thompson). Local stone rubble; slate roofs. West tower, nave, chancel, north aisle, vestry against south wall of chancel, south porch. The saddleback west tower may be C13 in origin but the top stage appears to have been rebuilt by Butterfield, who also rewindowed the nave, complete set of circa early C15 windows to the north aisle. The Butterfield restoration included new roofs to nave and chancel, tiling, font, benches, pulpit and altar Bails and cost £2,000. Exterior: The nave, chancel and lean-to south east vestry windows are 1874-5; single, paired and triple cusped lancets. The north aisle is buttressed with a complete set of early C15 granite windows, freestone to the interior, of a rather unusual Perpendicular design, the east window of the aisle is a C19 copy. 3 stage saddle back west tower with a narrow chamfered west doorway, a 3-light 1874-5 Decorated west window and trefoil headed lancets to the belfry stage, 3 to the west and east faces, 2 to the north and south faces. Buttressed south porch, probably wholly 1874-5 with a double chamfered outer doorway, north and south quatrefoil windows, a C19 arched brace roof and a chamfered-inner doorway. Interior: Plastered walls ; plain rounded tower arch ; chancel arch formed by tie beam with plaster infill above. 5 bay arcade (1 bay to the chancel), the piers with capitals only to the corner shafts, chamfered 2-centred arch into vestry. 1874 scissor-braced nave roof, co-eval canted ceiled wagon to the chancel with one main truss. The exposed ribs, main truss and wallplate all have painted decoration. Late medieval ceiled wagon to north aisle with moulded ribs and carved foliage bosses. The fittings are mostly Butterfield except for a C20 reredos with panels of figure carving, cresting and a co-eval altar. Tiling, communion rail with iron quatrefoils and choir stalls with shaped ends and pierced quatrefoils. Timber drum pulpit on some plinth with panels carved with quatrefoils ; nave benches with boldly shaped ends. The most remarkable Butterfield fitting is the polished marble font with a moulded bowl, cylindrical stem and 4 shafts on a moulded base. Monuments: Several late C18 and early C19 wall monuments in north aisle. Gloss: East window of north aisle 1875 signed O'Connor and Taylor; east window of chancel and west window probably Gibbs designed Butterfield. Devon Nineteenth Century Churches Project.
Date first listed: 05th April 1966.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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