Bradstone Church of St Nonna Basics
Listed building grade 1
Regularly open
Address
Bradstone
Tavistock
PL19 0QS
Geographical coordinates
50°36’19.1″N 4°17’20.3″W (enter these in your smartphone navigator)
Devonchurchland says…
A little marvel hidden away deep in rural West Devon, one of most unvisited areas of the county. So well cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust as well.
The outside is a study in greys against the luxuriant greens of the surrounding churchyard and trees.
Then there is the main door, a Norman doorway containing a Tudor granite doorway containing an 18th century door, like the Russian doll we have always wanted. Above that there is a very fine Green Man roof boss straight out of the Medieval.
Inside its spare simplicity takes a bit of time to get used to; sit and dwell awhile and allow the light and shadows, the subdued colours (those greys again), and the space begin to delight more and more. The tower arch especially is a beauty.
Great 18th century roof bosses and a cracking carved Norman head in the chancel which would be cooed over in a modern art gallery. My it is good.
Then, around the altar, there is some lovely Violet Pinwill carvings which rhyme so well with the roof bosses. They are beauties.
All in all, a place to lose oneself in, and as for the surrounding countryside… Deep Devon at its best.
Outline
PLAN
- Nave
- Chancel
- North aisle
- South Porch
- West tower
AGE
- Circa C12 origins
- Possibly nave, south door and chancel of that date
- C13 tracery in south wall of chancel
- Nave and chancel heightened and north aisle added circa C15
- Circa C15 west tower
BUILT FROM
- Stone rubble nave and chancel
- East wall of chancel partly rebuilt
- Ashlar north aisle, west tower and south porch
- Moulded plinth to north aisle and west tower
- Ragslate roofs with nave and chancel in one
Exterior
WEST TOWER
- 3 stages with battlemented parapet
- Octagonal, crenellated turrets with heavy crocketted pinnacles
- Surmounted by 3 stone crosses
- Fourth cross in south porch
- Angle buttresses
- West door with 4-centred arch with hood
- 3-light Perpendicular tracery window above
- In 4-centred arch with hood
- South side with lancet window with cusped head and rectangular hood
- 2-light belfry openings on 4 faces with cusped heads
- Slate tracery with ventilation holes
- 6 bells. 5 recast in 1827, the sixth added in 1928
NORTH AISLE
- West window
- 3-light Perpendicular tracery beneath 4-centred arches
- With hoodmoulds
- 2 north aisle windows
- East north aisle window
- Blocked north door
- Segmental arch with incised triangles in spandrels
- Rectangular hood
CHANCEL
- East wall of chancel partly rebuilt
- With 3-light perpendicular window with cusped heads
- South wall
- 2, circa C13 single cusped lancet windows
- In earlier round rear arches on interior
- Low buttress between larger stepped buttress to west
- With Perpendicular 3-light window beneath segmental arch
- Probably contemporary with raising of south nave and chancel walls
PORCH
- Gabled, with moulded 2-centred arch
- Inner south door in taller partly blocked Norman arch
- Latter with simply moulded arch and tall thin engaged round columns
- (once decorated) with stylized cushion capitals
- Within, 2-centred moulded arch
- Waggon roof (partly renewed)
- Part of earlier roof possibly lying outside against south wall of nave
- Porch roof with remains of earlier wall plate, moulded ribs and some carved bosses.
- Central boss with well carved figure head
Interior
CHANCEL
- Carved head on south wall between 2 lancet windows
- Possibly C12,
- Remains of rood loft stair on north wall
- Violet Pinwill carving around the altar, a delight
NAVE
- Very simple Holy water stoup on south wall
- 3 pieces of thin blue limestone laid in a triangle
- Square bowl
- Possibly C12
ROOFS
- Circa C15 waggon roof to nave,
- Sealed with moulded ribs and carved bosses
- Renewed to chancel with partly renewed bosses.
- North aisle waggon roof circa C15
- Moulded ribs with carved bosses and carved wall plate
- Renewed arcade plate
- One of bosses carved with datestone 1718
NORTH AISLE
- 4-bay north aisle with Cornish type A (Pevsner) granite moulded piers
- Moulded bases and capitals with castellated abacci
VARIOUS
- C19 Furnishings
- Circa C13 octagonal font with round bowl
Other information
Watercolour by Rev. Thomas Johnes, circa 1825, illustrates the interior of the church prior to restoration.
It shows several of the bench ends are decorated with circa C15 carvings. Also depicts a tall pulpit, the font with a tall cover and a rood screen surmounted by Royal Arms, the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer.
Several reset slate lids to tombchests on exterior of south proch and nave including those to John Cumbe, 1604, Robert Coumbe 1743 and Anna 1750.
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
