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Summary

Late 15th century parish church restored in 1862. Granite rubble wall, tower constructed of granite ashlar. Gable ended slate roof.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1171232: CHURCH (DEDICATION UNKNOWN)

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5395
• National Monuments Record: SX56NE406
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1571726
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/42
• Old Listed Building Ref (I): 92839

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (Built, XV - 1450 AD (Between) to 1499 AD (Between))

Full description

Bligh Bond, F., 1903, Devonshire Screens and Rood Lofts. Part II, 485 (Article in Serial). SDV6113.

Rood screen removed, part rescued and now stands in aisle. Perpendicular, and retains its ancient colour and gilding. Other fragments have been recovered and set up in nave.

Thompson, A. H., 1913, Church Architecture in Devon, 487 (Article in Serial). SDV15387.

Breton, H. H., 1928-1929, St. Leonard's Well, Sheepstor, 209 (Article in Serial). SDV215912.

Church restored in 1860.

Worth, R. H., 1934, Proceedings of the Seventy Third Annual Meeting, 14 (Article in Serial). SDV257912.

A carved sepulchral monument is to be found over the entrance to the south porch of Sheepstor church. Carving is commonly asserted to be a part of a sundial, but is almost certainly taken from a monument. It shows a winged hourglass, surmounted by a skull and cross- bones, with wheat growing from the orbits of the skull. A label bears the words ‘Anima resurgat’, below the design is the inscription ‘mors janua vita’, and on the other side the phrase ‘ut hora- sic vita’. Finally there are the initials ‘I. E.’ and the date 1640.

Beckerlegge, J. J., 1939, Eighth Report of the Plymouth and District Branch, 182-183 (Article in Serial). SDV149484.

In the south porch of the church is a cheese press base often erroneously described as a round headed cross. The stile post has been converted into a cross by the addition of arms. The so-called bullring is a recent corruption of the "bowling green" mentioned in a 17th century grant by Elford. Over the south door the carving sometimes referred to as a sundial was shown to be a portion of an elford memorial. Another Elford memorial, a 17th century slate table within the church, has fine lettering and a heraldic ornament. An ancient cross rescued from a field near burrator house was erected on a pedestal outside the lich gate of the churchyard.

Copeland, G. W., 1943, Twelfth Report of the Plymouth and District Branch, 96 (Article in Serial). SDV337004.

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

Single aisled church, perhaps originally cruciform. Shallow projection on north side of nave may be vesgtige of a small chantry chapel or an abbreviated transept. 15th and 16th century additions were made on the south side of the church. Chancel arch and that of transeptal tower are moulded. Plain piscina. Squint between transeptal chapel and chancel. Font octagonal. Modern screen and seating.

Masson Phillips, E. N. (ed) + Worth, R. H., 1979, Church geology, 165 (Article in Serial). SDV145424.

Roborough stone used for dressings of the w door of this church.

Department of Environment, 1987, Sheepstor, 52 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV227819.

Parish church. Circa late 15th century. Restored in 1862. Granite rubble wall, tower constructed of granite ashlar. Gable ended slate roof. Nave, chancel, south aisle and very shallow north transept, possibly containing the elford family pew, west tower and south porch. Restored in 1862 when rood screen was removed. (See List for full details).

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

Depicted on the modern mapping.

English Heritage, 2015, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV357602.

SHEEPSTOR SHEEPSTOR SX 56 NE 18/107 Church (dedication unknown) 21.3.1967 GV I
Parish church. Circa late C15. Restored in 1862. Granite rubble wall, tower constructed of granite ashlar. Gable ended slate roof.
Plan: nave, chancel, south aisle and very shallow north transept, possibly containing the Elford family pew, west tower and south porch. Restored in 1862 when rood screen was removed. Good three stage west tower which is battlemented with crenellated and crocketted pinnacles. Moulded stringcourses and plinth. 2-light belfry openings have cinquefoiled heads with a quatrefoil in between. 4-centred arched west doorway of Roborough stone is heavily moulded with incised leaf design in spandrels and square hood-mould. Tall 3-light west window of Roborough stone has Perpendicular tracery. On the north side of the tower is a pentagonal stair turret. The 2-light north windows to the aisle are all restored. The very shallow north transept has a 2- light late C15 window of Roborough stone with cinquefoiled heads. To the left of the transept is a shallow projection originally probably for the rood stairs. The east window is 3-light with Perpendicular tracery but has been restored apart from its jambs. The south aisle has a 3-light Perpendicular east window of Roborough stone. Its south wall has 4 2-light Perpendicular windows alternating with granite ashlar buttresses. Single storey gabled south porch has similar doorway to tower. Above it is a recess containing a grotesque carved stone in the form of a skull holding cross-bones in its mouth with ears of corn coming out of its eye sockets and an hourglass below.
Interior: 4-centred arched granite south doorway with broad chamfer and straight cut stops. 5 bay granite arcade to south aisle of Pevsner A-type piers and depressed 4- centred double-chamfered arches. Similar chancel and transept arch. Tower arch is tall and more pointed. Good modern rood screen of 1914 which is an exact replica of the original removed in 1862. C20 scissor brace roofs. Probably C15 granite octagonal font with panelled pedestal and high relief shields on sides of bowl. 2 C17 memorials on north wall. One of 1641 to Elizabeth Elford, made of alabaster with a figure of the lady semi-reclining, her baby beside her on the couch and three kneeling daughters by the bedside. The other a slate plaque commemorating members of the Elford family who were gentry of the parish; it has 7 shields at the top carrying the arms of various members of the family.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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