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Summary

St Michael's Parish Church in Horwood with 13C fabric remodelled in 15C with medieval floor tiles

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1325319: CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5326
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS52NW/4
• 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

Untitled Source, 103 (Migrated Record). SDV15340.

South side of church with transept & aisleless, north side has added perpendicular aisle with five-bay arcade. Low, unbuttressed west tower. Church fittings mentioned include Norman font, pulpit, screen, bench-ends, communion rail, tiles from Barnstaple, stained glass, church plate and a monument.

Cresswell, B. F., 1918-1919, Sepulchral Slabs with Crosses in Devon Churches, 8 (Article in Serial). SDV7613.

In the north aisle are two slabs each incised with a similar cross. They bear no inscription, but may well be intended for epitaphs which have never been added.

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

Parish Church of St Michael. Mostly c1500. North arcade c1400. 16th century bench ends, maybe also earlier plain bench ends. Pulpit 1635, 17th century altar rails. Ancient glass in east window, many late medieval tiles in the floor.

Keen, L., 1969, A Series of Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Lead-Glazed Relief Tiles from North Devon, 144-70 (Article in Serial). SDV15342.

Keen notes the post-medieval relief tiles from North Devon in the chancel of Horwood Church. Other details: Figs + Plates.

Department of Environment, 1986, Horwood, 29-30 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV84187.

Church of St Michael, 13th century fabric to chancel and probably to nave, remodelled in 15th century when the tower and north aisle were added. Restored c1889 by Hayward. Stone rubble with ashlar dressings. Slate roof with crested ridge tiles, coped parapet to chancel-end with apex cross. Comprising: west tower, nave, chancel and north aisle. Many features see DOE list for full details.

Anonymous, 1988, Untitled Source (Leaflet). SDV70281.

The church of St Michael has five bays, one extending into chancel. The clustered columns have wreathed capitals, decorated with foliage and faces. On one are carved four creatures, two more or less angelic, one a winged lion, the fourth an unmistakable mermaid. The roofs have been restored with new open timbers, the old bosses being retained in the aisles. Good carved wall plates. On south wall is a band of carving that may have been the cornice of a screen. Very fine early 16th century bench ends. The pulpit has delicately carved panels, dated 1635. The tower is embattled, of three stages; south side, shields. No display of armorials. The dwarf screen at the foot of chancel, erected in 1904. The old tiles dating back to the 14th century have been relaid in the chancel. There are remains of ancient stained glass preserved in the east window of the north aisle. There are three bells, two medieval, mentioned in 1553. First bell inscribed "ecce agnus dei", second bell "sancta maria" & a tenor bell, date 1662. Other details: Historical notes found in the church.

James, T. + Chandler, J., 2004, The Proposed Alverdiscott to Barnstaple Overhead 132kV Transmission Line, 7,14-15,Table 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV72921.

Woodcock, A., 2007, Death and the Mermaid: The Carved Capitals at St Michael's, Horwood (North Devon) and their Patrons, 147 (Article in Serial). SDV361748.

The north aisle and chapel of around 1400 can be firmly associated with the patronage of the Pollard family, in particular John Pollard and his wife Emma. This includes the north arcade of five bays with its four freestanding and two engaged columns, all of which bear carved capitals.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1325319 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

HORWOOD HORWOOD SS 52 NW 4/54 Church of St Michael 25.2.65 GV I Parish church. C13 fabric to chancel and probably to nave, remodelled in C15 when the tower and north aisle were added. Restored c.1889 by Hayward. Stone rubble with ashlar dressings. Slate roof with crested ridge tiles, coped parapet to chancel-end with apex cross. Comprising: west tower, nave, chancel and north aisle. Unbuttressed west tower of 2 stages. Embattled parapet with corner pinnacles. Stair turret or north side with large stone gargoyle in the angle of the projection. Single ogee-headed bell opening to each side with louvres. Single straight headed light window to north side with chamfered surround to top of 1st stage and a semi-circular headed single light window on south side with louvres. 3 undecorated shields to south side. Perpendicular 4-light pointed arched west window with label hoodmould above virtually round-arched doorway with moulded surround and hoodmould with label stops. Old, weathered plank door with elbow struts to the arch and moulded central rib. Nave south window to left of porch has pointed arch and 2 ogee lights with quatrefoil tracery and hoodmould. Unmoulded pointed arch to south porch doorway with cusped headed niche above containing carved figure. 2 old timber benches to each side of porch. Pointed arched inner doorway with chamfered surround and old 5 plank framed and ledged studded door with wrought iron strap hinges and small wooden shield bearing initials of churchwarden and dated 1669. 2 late Perpendicular straight-headed nave south windows to right of porch each with three 4-centred arched lights with foliated label stops to the hoodmould. 4-centred arched priest's doorway with moulded surround and foliated label stops to the hoodmould. 2 Perpendicular pointed arched windows of 3 lights to east end of chancel and north aisle with hoodmoulds. North aisle has 3 straight-headed later Perpendicular north windows of 3 cusped-headed lights with hoodmoulds. 3-light Perpendicular window at west end of north aisle. Interior: tall unmoulded semi-circular headed tower arch. North arcade of 5 continuous bays with Pevsner 'B' type piers and foliated capitals, the second pier from east end with shields to the top of the shafts with mythical beasts and angels to the capitals, and the third from east end with human heads flanking shields. Unceiled C15 waggon roofs throughout, with much of the timber renewed to nave roof. Moulded ridge member to chancel. North aisle roof has every fourth rib moulded with variously carved bosses at the intersections and richly carved wall plate. Carved lintels, possibly sections of reset wall plates to nave windows and to wide niches behind the pulpit. Horn-shaped piscina to chancel and ogee-headed piscina to north aisle. C19 tiled alter step with considerable number of Cl7 Barnstaple tiles to chancel and east end of north aisle. Cl7 communion rail with thick turned balusters and moulded handrail to chancel chapel. Polygonal pulpit with semi- circular headed blind panels, dated 1635 with initials HF, HB, CM inside the lozenges to the frieze. Reused dado panels, 2 panels high to front pew on south side. Set of 5 early C16 carved bench ends to north side of nave with moulded top rails to the pews. The front bench also acts as coffers with 2 iron locks and 8 foliated panels. Low north aisle pews, late C16 or early C17 with undecorated bench ends with moulded surrounds. The third bench from east end has part of probably reused carved wall plate to book rail. Square Norman font with scalloped base on round stem and marble bowl. Demi-bell-wheel dated 1664 hangs on north aisle north wall and old clapper on west wall. C17 carved table to north aisle, 3 panels to front with old locks. North aisle contains a number of late C16/early C17 stone and slate memorial stones including 2 to Pollard family, and 2 with incised crosses. Mid C15 recumbent effigy to a lady with horned headress and small figures of children under cloak. Early C17 wall monument to Arthur Pollard and wife in splay of north aisle window with shield above strapwork frieze supported on fluted columns. Slate tablet on north chancel wall to Robert Brian, d.1634. C15 stained glass to tracery of north aisle east window. C19 stained glass to west window, 1889 to Downing family and to chancel south window by Mayer and Co to Richard Dene, d.1863. 2 of the north aisle windows contain glass by A L Moore.
Date first listed: 25th February 1965.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV784 - The proposed Alverdiscott to Barnstaple overhead 132kV transmission line

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