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Summary

St Michaels parish church in Loxhore is mainly of 15C with possible 13C fabric to nave & chancel

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1107692: CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5283
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS63NW/1
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1905, 10NW (Cartographic). SDV322055.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 425 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Parish church. Mainly 15C in date, over-restored 1876-82.

Department of Environment, 1986, Loxhore, 87-88 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV84761.

Church of St Michael the Parish church at Loxhore. Possibly 13C fabric to nave and chancel, 15C/16C north aisle and west tower, reported as having been 'recently almost entirely rebuilt' in 1844 and again restored 1882 by Dolby of Abingdon. Rubble stone, roughly coursed to south-side of chancel. Ashlar dressings. Slate roofs with moulded clay ridge tiles to chancel. Apex crosses to south porch and chancel. Nave, chancel, west tower, north
aisle and south porch. Tower of 3 stages with embattled parapet. Single buttresses, diagonally set at western corners, square-set to eastern angles on south and north faces. Two 4-centred arched light bell openings with louvres on each side. Single slit opening to east side second stage above weathering of original nave roof line. Damaged slate sundial on south-side. 19C Perpendicular style west window of 3-lights with pointed arch and hoodmould continued round as first stage string. Segmental arched west doorway with chamfered surround and pyramid stops. 19C plank door. Two 19C 2-cusped-headed-light windows to south-side of nave with Mouchette tracery and pointed arched hoodmoulds with label stops. South porch with raised coped parapet. Perp 4-centred arched doorway with moulded surround. Semi-circular arched 18C doorcase with moulded surround and round-headed 6-panelled door with original lock. 2 single light lancets and a 2-light window with label stops to the hoodmoulds on south-side of chancel. Tall 2-light transomed east window with quatrefoil tracery and steeply pointed labelled hoodmould. Weathered oval stone tablet to north chancel wall. 3-light 19C Perpendicular style east window to north has 6 and 2 similar 2-light windows to north side. Interior: Unmoulded pointed tower arch. Arcade of 3 bays to north aisle with octagonal piers unusually of timber with sunk chamfers and ogee mouldings to the alternate faces. Scroll stops to the square capitals and to the base of the piers where some original timber survives otherwise largely 19C timber. Octagonal stone plinths. Straight unmoulded entablature. Perpendicular waggon roof to north aisle, (ceiled in 19C to 20C) with moulded ribs and carved bosses at the intersections. Slightly pointed 19C waggon roof to nave with moulded ribs and carved foliated wall plates. Small foliated bosses to chancel roof which tapers to a flat arch. Chancel/nave truss with crenellated tie-beam supported on wall posts from which carved angels figures lean outwards. Pierced tracery design to the soffits of the principals. Large carved cross acts as hinge post. Further crenellated tie-beam over altar rails with crown post. Stained glass to east window. Wide double sedilia with central marble colonette supporting twin pointed arches. Late 19C chancel screen with central archway with foliated spandrels. 5 trefoil headed lights to each side with turned balusters. 19C pulpit polygonal timber drum on stone stem with double ogee-arches separated by squat colonettes to each facet. 19C fleur de-lis decorated tiles to chancel and 9 medieval Barnstaple tiles to base of pulpit. Square bowl and cylindrical stem to font without decoration but with 16C cone cover 4-sided with cable-moulded centre and corner ribs swept up to crocketted finial. Painted Royal Arms to west wall of north aisle. 2 slate stones to floor of north aisle, one to Norwood family dated 1614, the other to Susan Rogers 1711. Wall monuments. Chancel north wall, unusual metal plaque in wooden frame engraved to Richard Carpenter, rector, d1627 with verses etc in different lettering styles. Similar metalled plaque on east wall of north aisle to Mary Weber, wife of the rector d1671 with incised Corinthian classical pillar to centre dividing etched verses, with engraved canopy and skull and cross bones above. North wall of north aisle from east end: 17C wall monument to Hammond family, including Hester, "famous for her skill in geneology but died childless". Broken pediment flanking classical urn with putti reclining on each raking cornice supported on Tuscan column. Angels bust below and scrolled wing brackets flank slate plaque. Marble tablet recording restoration of reredos 1911 by T E Ching of Porthleven. Large monument to Hammond family. Large classical urn with 2 large putti to each side and classical torches outside.Corinthian pilasters flanking columns of same order outside oval medallion with richly carved surround, cherubs heads above drops and skulls in the base and to each side of consoles with scalloped bases and winged plaque between without inscription. Stone tablet on south wall of chancel to Rev Charles Reave, d1726. Square plaque with classical porch and scrolling wing brackets and base.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1107692 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

Parish church. Possibly C13 fabric to nave and chancel, C15/C16 north aisle and west tower, reported as having been 'recently almost entirely rebuilt' in 1844 and again restored 1882 by Dolby of Abingdon. Rubble stone, roughly coursed to south- side of chancel. Ashlar dressings. Slate roofs with moulded clay ridge tiles to chancel. Apex crosses to south porch and chancel. Nave, chancel, west tower, north aisle and south porch. Tower of 3 stages with embattled parapet. Single buttresses, diagonally set at western corners, square-set to eastern angles on south and north faces. Two 4- centred arched light bell openings with louvres on each side. Single slit opening to east side second stage above weathering of original nave roof line. Damaged slate sundial on south-side. C19 Perpendicular style west window of 3-lights with pointed arch and hoodmould continued round as first stage string. Segmental arched west doorway with chamfered surround and pyramid stops. C19 plank door. Two C19 2-cusped-headed-light windows to south-side of nave with mouchette tracery and pointed arched hoodmoulds with label stops. South porch with raised coped parapet. Perp 4-centred arched doorway with moulded surround. Semi-circular arched C18 doorcase with moulded surround and round-headed 6-panelled door with original lock. 2 single light lancets and a 2-light window with label stops to the hoodmoulds on south-side of chancel. Tall 2-light transomed east window with quatrefoil tracery and steeply pointed labelled hoodmould. Weathered oval stone tablet to north chancel wall. 3-light C19 Perpendicular style east window to north has 6 and 2 similar 2-light windows to north side. Interior: Unmoulded pointed tower arch. Arcade of 3 bays to north aisle with octagonal piers unusually of timber with sunk chamfers and ogee mouldings to the alternate faces. Scroll stops to the square capitals and to the base of the piers where some original timber survives otherwise largely C19 timber. Octagonal stone plinths. Straight unmoulded entablature. Perpendicular waggon roof to north aisle, (ceiled in C19 to C20) with moulded ribs and carved bosses at the intersections. Slightly pointed C19 waggon roof to nave with moulded ribs and carved foliated wall plates. Small foliated bosses to chancel roof which tapers to a flat arch. Chancel/nave truss with crenellated tie-beam supported on wall posts from which carved angels figures lean outwards. Pierced tracery design to the soffits of the principals. Large carved cross acts as hinge post. Further crenellated tie-beam over altar rails with crown post. Stained glass to east window. Wide double sedilia with central marble colonette supporting twin pointed arches. Late C19 chancel screen with central archway with foliated spandrels. 5 trefoil headed lights to each side with turned balusters. C19 pulpit polygonal timber drum on stone stem with double ogee-arches separated by squat colonettes to each facet. C19 Fleur de-lis decorated tiles to chancel and 9 medieval Barnstaple tiles new to base of pulpit. Square bowl and cylindrical stem to font without decoration, but with C16 cone cover 4-sided with cable-moulded centre and corner ribs swept up to crocketted finial. Painted Royal Arms to west wall of north aisle. 2 slate stones to floor of north aisle, one to Norwood family dated 1614, the other to Susan Rogers 1711. Wall monuments. Chancel north wall, unusual metal plaque in wooden frame engraved to Richard Carpenter, rector, d.1627 with verses etc in different lettering styles. Similar metalled plaque on east wall of north aisle to Mary Weber, wife of the rector d.1671 with incised Corinthian classical pillar to centre dividing etched verses, with engraved canopy and skull and cross bones above. North wall of north aisle from east end: C17 wall monument to Hammond family, including Hester, "famous for her skill in geneology but died childless. Broken pediment flanking classical urn with putti reclining on each raking cornice supported on Tuscan column. Angels bust below and scrolled wing brackets flank slate plaque. Marble tablet recording restoration of reredos 1911 by T. E. Ching of Porthleven. Large monument to Hammond family. Large classical urn with 2 large putti to each side and classical torches outside.Corinthian pilasters flanking columns of same order outside oval medallion with richly carved surround, cherubs heads above drops and skulls in the base and to each side of consoles with scalloped bases and winged plaque between without inscription. Stone tablet on south wall of chancel to Rev. Charles Reave, d.1726. Square plaque with classical porch and scrolling wing brackets and base.
Date first listed: 25th February 1965.

Allan, J. + Griffiths, N. + Mills, A., 2020, Some Recent Finds of North Devon Pottery, 226; Appendix 1 (Article in Serial). SDV364780.

Several reset tiles in the south aisle at Loxhore appear to match the fleur-de-lis tiles by Benjamin Smith in Yarnscombe parish church. They are in poor condition. The ‘S’ on the right can be seen, but one example also has a clear ‘B’ on the left.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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