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Summary

St. Andrew's parish church in Sutcombe has a Norman south doorway, but is mainly a 15th century structure which was restored in 1876. The tower was rebuilt in 1899.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1326580: CHURCH OF ST ANDREW

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5070
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS31SW/5
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 91609

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (XII to XIX - 1101 AD to 1899 AD (Between))

Full description

Bligh Bond, F., 1902, Devonshire Screens and Rood Lofts, Plate 9 (Article in Serial). SDV15462.

Bligh Bond, F., 1903, Devonshire Screens and Rood Lofts. Part II, 488 (Article in Serial). SDV6113.

The lower portion of screen remains on which a series of narrow panels is carved.

Thompson, A. H., 1913, Church Architecture in Devon, 480 (Article in Serial). SDV15387.

Prideaux, E. K., 1914 - 1915, Sutcombe Church and its Builders, 7-46 (Article in Serial). SDV15382.

A detailed account of the history, architecture and fittings of the church is given. Other details: Figures, Plates.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: North Devon, 147-8 (Monograph). SDV336196.

Nave and two aisles: north arcade has five bays, south arcade three bays. West tower narrower than nave and without buttresses or west door. Pevsner mentions church fittings including font, pulpit, screen, bench-ends, tiles, stained glass, church plate and monuments.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 483 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Simple 12th century south doorway otherwise entirely late 15th century - early 16th, some alterations, especially windows in 17th. Many late medieval floor tiles, 16th century pulpit and will carved bench ends circa1500. Granite arcade. Well restored rood screen with fragments of the original screen. Medieval glass.

Keen, L., 1969, A Series of Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Lead-Glazed Relief Tiles from North Devon, 144-170 (Article in Serial). SDV15342.

Keen records occurrence of Barnstaple relief tiles in nave chancel and south aisle.

Department of Environment, 1988, Thornbury. Provisional List, 38 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV357.

St Andrew's parish church in Sutcombe. Norman origins but mainly a 15th century structure restored in 1876 and tower rebuilt in 1899. Rubble walls, coursed to tower. Gable-ended slate roofs.
Plan: nave, west tower, north and south aisles, south porch. The Norman south doorway denotes the early origins of the church but the building is largely Perpendicular - the nave, north and south aisles are 15th century. A fairly precise date can be deduced for the north aisle - since one of the capitals to its arcade is carved with arms of Prideaux, Hody and Spencer probably to commemorate the marriage
in the mid 15th century of William Prideaux to Alice the Giffard heiress whose ancestors these were. The windows of much of the church appear to have been restored in the 17th century. The smaller south aisle - known as the Thuborough aisle from tne seat of the Prideaux - probably 15th century but somewhat earlier. The west tower was rebuilt in 1899.
A general restoration of the church took place in 1876.
Exterior: 2 stage unbuttressed west tower, crenellated with obelisk finials. No west doorway 2-light trefoiled belfry openings. North aisle has 4 tall 17th century 3-light mullion windows. Rectangular rood stair projection between the 2 left-hand windows. Granite north doorway has depressed 4-centred head with worn mouldings and square hoodmould. East end of aisle has 17th century 3-light debased Perpendicular granite window.
The east ends of both aisles are parallel with that of the chancel. 3-light sandstone east window of Perpendicular style dates from 1876. Similar window at east end of south aisle. This aisle does not extend the full length of the nave. It has two 3-light 17th century mullion windows and a blocked priest's door inbetween incorporating a small carving apparently of a bishop's head. The soutn wall of nave
also has a 17th century 3-light window towards the west end. A datestone of 1630 set into the west end wall of the south aisle may denote when tnese windows were put in. Gabled south porch with simple almost round-headed rubble doorway. Slate sundial
above dated 1785.
Interior: porch has partly restored medieval wagon roof with moulded ribs and unusual bosses formed by quatrefoils with a central carved image. Simple 12th century south doorway with semi-circular tympanum chamfered jambs and projecting imposts.
Internal walls have 20th century plaster. 5-bay granite north arcade of Pevsner A-type piers with carved wreathed capitals and 4-centred moulded arches. 3-bay south arcade of a different stone with similar piers but different capitals and narrower more pointed arches. No chancel arch. Rubble 4-centred tower arch. In north wall is 4-centred granite doorway to rood stairs. Good trefoiled piscina in east wall of chancel. Flagon roof over north aisle restored but retains some of its moulded ribs and carved bosses. Good carved bench ends throughout, some restored, mainly displaying heraldic devices of local families such as De Esse, Gifford, Spencer, Churchill, Prideaux and Edgecumbe. Fine 16th century carved pulpit supported on stem with 4 carved brackets in form of mythical creatures. Rood screen to nave is largely a restoration but some of the Medieval work survives in the panels.
Octagonal 15th century granite font with carved panels on tapering shaft. East window of south aisle has Medieval stained glass reset in its head, displaying the arms of De Esse, Spencer, Churchill and Downey. Medieval Barnstaple floor tiles to nave, chancel and east end of both aisles. To either side of the east window in south aisle are wall memorials to members of the Prideaux family both of similar design with large obelisks above a slate plaque and armorial shield below. The left-hand one is undated but the other has the dates 1742 and 1764. Other details: LBS number 91609.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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