Braunton Church of St Brannock Basics
Listed building grade 1
Regularly open
Address
Church Street
Braunton
EX33 2EL
Geographical coordinates
51°06’46.7″N 4°09’35.4″W (enter these in your smartphone navigator)
Devonchurchland says…
A major Devon church, perched on the edge of the ocean between the hills and the dunes, founded by Saint Brannock back in around 600 AD.
Set in a very pretty churchyard, the Norman tower with its spire and massive buttresses really needs admiration, the porches (three of them) and there are a few lovely old windows.
Inside is a cornucopia of riches. The massive aisle-less nave is the most striking structural feature, with a relatively small chancel.
The roof bosses are marvellous (bring binoculars or a good zoom), the medieval bench ends are fascinating, and the font is an atmospheric beauty.
Further in, there is a very early screen and remember to check out the charming Armada chest (though sadly its connection to the Spanish Armada is tenuous to say the least).
For the monument nerds there are a lot of good ones, some rare, some crazy, some of their time. The variety is brilliant.
And finally some wonderful 20th century stained glass. Well worth a good look.
Set aside an hour or an hour and a half to really enjoy and discover the details and you will enjoy every minute.
Outline
PLAN
- Nave
- Chancel
- South chapel
- North and west transept
- South transept tower
AGE
- C13 fabric to chancel
- C15 rebuild
- Mostly C19 refenestration
- South, north and west porches all probably rebuilt in C19
- Chancel restored 1887
BUILT FROM
- Rubble, mainly uncoursed
- Some roughly squared masonry in south wall of south chancel chapel
- Dressed stone quoins to chancel
- Slate roofs with coped ashlar gables
- Stone crosses at the apexes
Exterior
TOWER
- Broach spire and tower, two stages
- Angle buttresses and large central buttresses all with offset
- Single narrow slit openings in north and west wall of bottom stage
- Plain pointed arch opening above in second stage
- Lead clad broach spire has four gabled two-light lucarnes between the broach
- Stair turret sits in north-east angle of tower with three slit openings on east side
NAVE
- Symmetrical disposition of window openings
- Three-light Perpendicular style windows
- Partially recut to each side of north and south porches
- Large C19 west window in Perpendicular style with corbelled hood mould
- Between north transept and north porch is a low slated lean-to roof with external stone steps in front leading to organ gallery door in transept west wall
- Its north wall has two-light C19 window and to east is reset C13 pointed arch window with Y bars
CHANCEL
- Elaborate Perpendicular style chancel window with corbelled hood mould,tracery recut but architrave mostly intact
- Three lancets on north wall and C14 doorway cut out of walling beneath middle lancet
- Chancel chapel east window has recut long and short jambs and mouchette tracery
- Hood mould has stopped ends but also weathered label stops outside these indicating large opening formerly extending up to empty niche near the gable apex
- Chancel chapel to south has two-light Decorated style window and single-light Decorated style opening each side of four-centred arch doorway with hollow chamfer, floriated stops to the hood moulds and plank door
PORCHES
- Plain pointed arches and doorways
- Plain chamfers, base of the jambs recut on south doorway
- Ancient pointed arch plank door to south with square framing and ledging
- Old pointed arch door to north
- Large external buttresses with off-sets towards west end and smaller ashlar buttresses bonded in at corners
- West porch has unmoulded pointed arch and C19 ceiled waggon roof
- Double chamfered pointed west doorway with plain hood mould
- Double-leaved ancient west door
- Wooden charity board on north wall and stocks used as bench on south wall of west porch
Interior
NAVE
- Unaisled, spanned by massive unceiled waggon roof
- Ornately carved bosses
- Three brass Flemish chandeliers
- Excellent set of twenty-three pairs of C16 variously carved bench ends
- Complete with benches and moulded rails
VARIOUS
- Small pointed head piscina near base of east wall of tower
- Anglo-Saxon (?) burial stone forms lintel of slit window in west wall of the south tower of the church
- North transept contains carved panelling to organ gallery dated 1619
- Armada chest in south chancel chapel
- Around 1560
- Male and female figures in Portuguese costume
- Initials and inscription
- C17 panelled pulpit
CHANCEL
- Fine Cl7 turned communion rails and altar table
- Panelled reredos resembling Cl7 chimneypiece dated 1653 with five angels’ busts in the central projecting bay
- Angel busts spaced along the wall plates
- Chancel screen, four-light sections with Perpindicular tracery
Plank ceiled waggon roof with bosses - South chancel chapel has C20 dado panelling
- Ceiled waggon roof to south chancel chapel
- Some old benchends
FONT
- Square bowl on squat column,probably late C13/early C14
- Base of column and corner colonettes being replacements
- Bowl carved with human heads at each corner and ox and human face on east and north sides
- Enriched with Decorated style traceried surround
MONUMENTS
South chancel chapel wall
- Hinged brass palimpsest ‘reinstated 1908’ originally from chapel floor
Nave south wall from east
- Early classical style wall monument to Peter Shepherd of Fulbrook and his son died 1558 and 1591
- Monument to Nicholas Hooper Wood also in classical Ionic style
- Large late Cl7 wall monument to Robert Incledon(died 1558) and other members of family
- Large entablature with semi-circular arched head and angel figures over trophies outside classical colonettes supported on cherubs heads
- These flank principal tablet with skull below with painted decoration
- Small wall monument to Peter Calverley ‘Chyrurgeon'(died 1799)
- Oval medallion with fern surrounding skull and armorial bearings above, cherubs below
- Early C19 marble wall tablet above South Doorway to Webber Family 1807-1822
- Fluted pilasters flank inscription with Classical Urn above
- Marble wall monument to Frances Baker (nee Webber:died 1782)
- Scrolled surround to carved tablet with tapering crown surmounted by Classical urns
- Cluster of three cherub heads at base flanked by urns and brackets
Extreme west end of south wall
- Panels containing shields flanked by three superimposed orders of fluted Ionic columns to the lower two tiers
- Heads in the capitals of the upper tier
- Pilastered single tier above
North wall from east
- Marble wall tablet
- Anthemion acroteria above inscription to Henry Webber 1823 and 1833
North wall from east
- Marble wall tablet
- Anthemion acroteria above inscription to Henry Webber 1823 and 1833
To left of organ gallery
- Doric columns each side of 1758 tablet with classical urn over
- Reset stone wall tablet dated 1622
To right of north door
- To Margaret Allyn died 1709
- Cherubs heads over tablet with wreathed surround to skulls head below
Over north door wall
- Tablet to husband and wife died 1839 and 1870
- Pilaster to each side of marble wall tablet with shield over
To left of north door
- Marble wall monument by T Jewell of Barnstaple to Hale family C.1737
- Doric pilasters and classical urn
STAINED GLASS
- East Window by Percy Bacon 1909
- Four Evangelists by W F Dixon
- Christ in His Glory by George Cooper Abbs c1949
- Empty Tomb by George Cooper Abbs 1964
- Virgin Mary by George Cooper Abbs 1965
- Pentecostal Window by Roy Coomber 1998
Other information
St Brannoc was a Celtic saint who lived around 600/700 AD and was very likely a real person.
There is no reason to doubt his connection this church, so there has probably been a centre of worship here since that time.
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
