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Summary

Late 15th- or early 16th century tower, the rest rebuilt in 1873.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1309259: CHURCH OF ST JAMES THE LESS

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5328
• National Monuments Record: 896406
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS51SW/7
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (XV to XIX - 1450 AD to 1873 AD (Between))

Full description

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: North Devon, 103 (Monograph). SDV336196.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 413 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Department of Environment, 1959, Torrington RD Provisional List, 8 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV118.

Built 1873 except small 15th century tower with embattlements and pinnacles.

Department of Environment, 1988, Huish, 70 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV6312.

Church of St James the Less.
Parish church. Late 15th- or early 16th century tower, the rest rebuilt in 1873 by G. E. Street. Coursed stone rubble walls. Gable-ended slate roof. Stone chimney to vestry.
Plan: nave, chancel, south aisle and porch, west tower and vestry on north side of chancel. Apart from the late 15th- or early 16th century tower the church was entirely rebuilt in 1873 mainly in the early Decorated style.
Exterior: 3-stage castellated west tower with obelisk finials. Round-headed granite west doorway with roll and hollow moulding and arched hoodmould. Twentieth century rebuilt 3-light Perpendicular style west window. 2-light segmental arched belfry openings. Slit openings for stair on north side. North side of nave has 3 2-light and one single light plate tracery type windows. At east end is lean-to vestry with arched doorway. Large 5-light east window of Decorated Style and similar small 2-light one on south side of chancel. The south aisle has a 3-light early Decorated style window to either side of the porch and a trefoiled light towards the east end. Single storey gabled south porch with 2 centred moulded arched doorway and diagonal buttress either side.
Interior: south doorway has pointed arch with nookshafts. The internal walls are lined with fine sandstone ashlar. The 3-bay arcade is of similar stone with 4-centred arches and piers with moulded capitals. Wide similar chancel arch and pointed sandstone tower arch. Chancel has sedilia and piscina in south wall. Arch in north wall to vestry. Arch-braced collar beam roof to nave with cusping to arches and angels corbels to principal rafters. Boarded roof to chancel and plain wagon roof to aisle.
Octagonal front of Caen stone with very fine fleuron carving to panels and stem consisting of clustered shafts, alternate ones of marble. The pulpit is of similar stone, 3 sided with tracery carved panels. On the west wall of the nave is an oval slate wall memorial to Jane Wollacombe who died in 1777. To the other side of the tower arch are 2 more wall memorials - one slate with nowy head dated 1668 the other marble and oval to William Spurway Gent who died 1715. Other details: LBS no. 90909.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/LH 13, LH 13 (Aerial Photograph). SDV6375.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/LI 1, LI 1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV6376.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 497 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Ford, A., 2001, Mark Rolle. His Architectural Legacy in the Lower Otter Valley, 10 (Monograph). SDV356721.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV598 - Unnamed Event

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