Abbotsham Church of St Helen Basics
Listed building grade 2*
Regularly open
Address
Church of St Helen
Abbotsham
Bideford
EX39 6AR
Geographical coordinates
51°00’55.7″N 4°14’50.4″W (enter these in your smartphone navigator)
Devonchurchland says…
An early tower and an original nave and chancel with a Norman font show the age of this beauty, tucked away in North Devon near Bideford. But these are just an introduction to a very rich and wonderful church indeed.
The Late Medieval bench ends here are outstanding, both in their quality and variety and in their amount. They also have scenes which are with very rare or unknown elsewhere; Christ carrying the cross and the Crucifixion being a couple of examples.
The coeval roof bosses are also very nice indeed, along with the figures displaying artisan tools along the wall plate.
The twentieth century comes into play with a staggering wooden altar back, wonderfully carved showing angels and a Nativity scene.
There also some good stained glass, including a most enchanting depiction of the Evening Star.
Not to forget the structure and atmosphere, with many surviving medieval windows and an interior that is beautiful and very well kept indeed.
This is a church well worth spending a fair amount of time with, especially with the many bench ends whispering faith from the past.
Outline
PLAN
- Cruciform plan
- Early C13 nave and chancel
- Tower of c.1300 to north east
- Early C14 south chapel
AGE
- Early C13
- Tower of c.1300
- Restored 1870
BUILT FROM
- Coursed slatestone rubble
- Ashlar dressings
- Gabled slate roof
- C19 coping and kneelers
Exterior
NORTH TOWER
- Three-stage
- c.1300
- Offset corner buttresses to lower-stage
- c. 1300 Y-tracery 2-light window
- Above blocked door to north
- Similar C19 window to east
- C13 lancet window beneath string course of belfry stage
- Y-tracery 2-light windows of c.1300
- String course beneath crenellated parapet
NAVE
- Rood-stair projection in north-east corner
- East gable are label moulds
- Over two C17 two-light mullioned windows
- And a C14 trefoiled light
- Much C19 restoration
- Including the offset buttresses
- Hammer-dressed quoining to south west
- Fenestration
- Mid C19 two-light Decorated-style window
- And Y-tracery window
- To south
- North side mid C19 two-light Decorated-style window
- And C13 lancet window
- Flanking mid C19 porch
- With pointed-arched doorways and studded door
- Mid C19 three-light Decorated-style west window
CHANCEL
- East window of 3 graduated lancets
- Mid/late C19
- Early C13 two-light chamfered round-arched window to north
- C19 mullion and sill
- C13 chamfered lancet window to south
VESTRY
- To south
- Late C19
- Hoodmould over pointed chamfered doorway
- Lateral stack
- Flanked by trefoiled lancets
SOUTH TRANSEPT
- Early C14 quatrefoil light to east
- Hood mould over early C14 two-light south window
- With curvilinear tracery and C20 mullions
- Mid/late C19 four-light west window
- Two 2-light Y-tracery windows
- Set in square-headed architraves
Interior
VARIOUS
- Rendered walls
- C19 chancel arch
- Pointed chamfered arches to transepts
- Late C19 chair and eagle lectern
- Gothic-style pulpit erected 1896
- C12 font
- Fluted bowl
- Set on cable-moulded stem
ROOFS
- C15 waggon
- Moulded ribs
- Foliate-carved bosses to chancel
- With some C19 restoration
- Nave and south transept
- Nave roof has carved figures holding shields
- Which have emblems of various trade guilds
- Including fuller’s tucker (a pair of scissors), carpenter’s square, hammer and axe
- And anchor, spade and mason’s trowel
- One shield has arms of Tavistock Abbey
- The rector of the church
BENCH ENDS
- C15 and C16
- Carved
- Tracery, foliate decoration and Renaissance emblems
- Christ bearing the Cross
- Emblems of the Passion
- Initials J.W
- Woolstapler’s mark
- Traceried bench front next to west door mostly C19
- But includes some C15 fragments
- And a vine-trail moulding
PEWS
- Built in 1724
- Brass plates fixed to them
- Recording names of farms in the parish
- Originated in a dispute about seating
- Plates mark the seats allotted by a commission
- Appointed in 1723 by the Bishop of Exeter
CHANCEL
- Beautifully-carved reredos
- Figures of angels and central nativity scene
- Set in crocketted canopies
- In memory of Rev. E.M.W. Sealy (d. 1914)
- And his son (d. 1915)
- Piscina restored with marble basin at same time
- Late C19 choir tiles
- Encaustic sanctuary tiles
- Laid by Henrietta Josepha Hatherly
- In memory of her sister, d.1847
- Marble floor laid in memory of Rev. R.W. Sealy, d. 1914
MONUMENTS
- Chancel
- Tablets to Anthony Hony, d. 1639 (with epitaph)
- Rev. William Walter, d. 1846
- John Walker, d. 1807, and sons
- Mid C19 Gothic-style tablet to Fortescues and family
- Heraldic achievement set above memorial to Margaretta Burges, d. 1721/2
- Nave
- Memorial tablets dated 1835, 1916 and 1917
- Memorial to John Willett of Combe, d. 1736
- Heraldic achievement set in broken segmental pediment
- Flanked by angels
- Set above oval panel inscription panel
- Surrounded by drapery swags
- Flanked by scrolls and Corinthian columns
- North transept
- Mid C19 and C20 brasses
Other information
An outstanding collection of Late Medieval wood carving
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