Nominal: 867.5 Hz Weight: 1008 lbs Diameter: 37.25" Bell 1 of 4
Founded by Exeter foundry
Dove Bell ID: 2406 Tower ID: 11997 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Elworthy: St Martin
Overview
Grid reference: ST 82 349
The west tower, very plain, is probably thirteenth century, the body of the church late fourteenth century. There is record of the chancel being restored in 1695, at which time the walls were said to be newly built together with the roof. The east wall was re-erected in 1846. The south transeptal projection was built in 1816 to contain the family pew of General Blommart who was also responsible for Willett Tower, a notable ruined church folly set on the highest point in the parish.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Churches Conservation Trust
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
West tower, aisleless nave with south family pew now in use as an organ chamber, off which is a separate entrance now disused. Chancel with projection to the north containing the rood stair part of which remains as access to the pulpit.
Description of Archaeology and History
The west tower, very plain, is probably thirteenth century, the body of the church late fourteenth century. There is record of the chancel being restored in 1695, at which time the walls were said to be newly built together with the roof. The east wall was re-erected in 1846. The south transeptal projection was built in 1816 to contain the family pew of General Blommart who was also responsible for Willett Tower, a notable ruined church folly set on the highest point in the parish.
Exterior Description
The walls are of roughly-coursed local red sandstone and lias, apart from the worked stone surrounds to windows and doors. The roofs are covered with old Treborough slates. The tower has a lead roof.
On the north side, which is that first seen and where the entrance is, there are no decorative features. The west tower is square on a plinth which runs at the level of the cill of the west lancet window. On the south side are stone steps, evidently considerably later than the tower itself, leading to a door at first-floor level. The top stage is set back slightly from that below and has functional rectangular louvred openings for the belfry. The parapet above is embattled.
The nave has a small lancet light in the north wall towards the west end, then comes the porch with diagonal buttresses. Further east is a larger two-light window with a square head and Perpendicular tracery, the two main lights having ogee heads. The south wall of the nave has two of these windows, both with tracery much renewed, the western one being set within a hollow moulded reveal.
The corners of the chancel are buttressed with diagonal buttresses and there is a small projection for the rood stair at the junction of chancel and nave on the north side.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
c. 15th Century
Nave north wall A small lancet light towards the west end containing two figures, the upper being St. John the Evangelist, the head of the figure worn and the canopy missing. The design also includes the Saint's emblem of an eagle. Perhaps fifteenth century, and certainly mediaeval.
Stained Glass
The tracery lights of the north-east window of the nave have coloured fragments of rosettes similar in style to the fragments in the south nave windows.
Stained Glass
1846
Chancel east window. This is of three lights. The whole window (except the cherub's head) looks to be of 1846, the year in which the east wall was rebuilt.
Interior
Interior Description
The floor covering is wood apart from the alley which is paved with attractive diagonal red quarries. The chancel has these and also within the Communion rails some arranged in sets of four decorated with yellow stain much in the mediaeval manner (although certainly nineteenth century in date). The walls of the whole church are whitewashed, and the plaster covers all the window reveals as well as the oddly large round-headed tower arch which cannot, because of its size, be of the Norman date which this shape appears to indicate. It seems more likely that this was a nineteenth century widening of a smaller, opening.
The chancel stands at an angle to the nave, quite pronounced when seen from the west end of the nave under the tower arch. The roof is vaulted with a plaster barrel vault typical of the area, the panels divided by moulded wooden struts.
Fixtures and fittings
Screen
The screen across the chancel arch is straight headed with six late mediaeval arched tracery heads renewed (and some spandrels restored) and set in nineteenth century uprights, with a narrow frieze above carved in low relief.
Pulpit
The Pulpit is made of severteenth century panels reset in nineteenth century framing (perhaps pre-Victorian). On the top are two nice adjustable candle branches on stems of the date of the re-working.
Stall
The choirstalls are old bench-ends re-used, and the fronts with narrow panels of Gothic tracery, may be the panels of the lower part of the screen whose upper tracery appears in the present screen.
Altar
The Communion Table is seventeenth century, with a later top; the legs are especially finely turned and have more refined detail than is usual, such as the shallow fluting of the balusters.
Rail
The Communion Rails are late seventeenth century work re-made with nineteenth century capping.
Lectern
The Lectern is Victorian, of simple desk-on-pillar form.
Font (component)
19th Century
The Font cover is nineteenth century, octagonal and spirical with carved crockets and finial.
Font (object)
The Font is in the Gothick style with deeply pronounced flutes in the octagonal pier and clumsy, but finely cut, cusping on the panels of the bowl. It is made of 'Watchet marble' a local stone which is in fact an alabaster.
Organ (object)
The positive organ with pedal blowing system is of one manual with four stops and tremulant, by H.C. Sims of Belle Vue Terrace, Southampton.
Bells
Nominal: 1232.5 Hz Weight: 364 lbs Diameter: 26.75" Bell 2 of 4
Founded by Roger Semson
Dove Bell ID: 20161 Tower ID: 11997 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 1135 Hz Weight: 532 lbs Diameter: 28.75" Bell 3 of 4
Founded by Thomas I Wroth 1699
Dove Bell ID: 20162 Tower ID: 11997 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 954.5 Hz Weight: 672 lbs Diameter: 32" Bell 4 of 4
Founded by Thomas II Pennington 1624
Dove Bell ID: 20163 Tower ID: 11997 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Churchyard
Grid reference: ST 82 349
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
Showing 6 entries of 6 View All
Submit a change
If you notice something incorrect or missing, please explain it in the form below and submit it to our team for review.