Clyst St Lawrence Church of St Lawrence Basics
Listed building grade 1
Regularly open
Address
Church of St Lawrence
Clyst St Lawrence
Cullompton
EX15 2NW
Geographical coordinates
50°47’28.0″N 3°22’56.0″W (enter these in your smartphone navigator)
Devonchurchland says…
A modest and enchanting little church with a massive tower that makes the nave and channel ever tinier; a wonderful combination, not only for its rarity.
The tower itself is interesting. It has the original grotesques at the top, and an image niche with a medieval statue of Madonna and Child, Mary crowned as Queen of Heaven.
The interior is simple, all the better for showing off its beauty, like the medieval roof bosses which are well worth a look of five.
The remnants of a very fine 16th century rood screen stretch between the nave and chancel, the uprights, vaulting and cornice only; the carving is superb and the later colouring works well.
There is a chunky Norman font too, a proper survivor.
In the tower arch there is some marvellous carving, foliage, two ‘Green Men’ and two ‘Mouth Pullers’. Brilliant and powerful, they are true creative art.
Another thing to check out is the 18th century painted board explaining the Holy Trinity, using an infographic going back to the Medieval. It is a wonderful little insight into that century’s faith.
Oh, and a pretty position in a pretty village, but this is Devon and seems to be the baseline, luckily for all of us.
Outline
PLAN
- Small church
- Nave
- North porch
- Narrower and lower chancel
- Tall west tower
AGE
- Probably Norman origins
- The font is Norman
- Rebuilt in the C15
BUILT FROM
- Coursed blocks of purple-coloured volcanic ashlar
- Some of the blocks very large
- Particularly at the base of the tower
- Beerstone ashlar detail
- Slate roof
Exterior
WEST TOWER
- Tall
- 3 stages
- Diagonal buttresses at the west end
- Set back buttresses at the east end
- Embattled parapet
- With moulding coping and carved gargoyles
- On the north side is a semi-hexagonal stair turret
- Rises above the tower parapet
- Has its own embattled parapet and gargoyles
- Surmounted by a wrought iron weather vane
- Stair turret is lit by small quatrefoil lights
- Includes a Beerstone image niche
- With a crocketted canopy and carved base
- Includes a statue of the Virgin and Child
- Very old and maybe C15
- Belfry windows are 2 lights
- Perpendicular tracery
- West side is a 2-centred arch doorway
- Moulded surround
- Including a band of four leaf motifs
- Plain hoodmould
- Above is a 3-light window
- Perpendicular tracery
- Plain hoodmould
- South side a cinquefoil headed lancet
- Lights the ringing chamber
NAVE
- South side
- A 2-window front of 3-light windows
- Perpendicular tracery
- Plain hoods
- Another in the-east end of the chancel
- Another on the north side (east end) of the nave
- The other window on the north side of the nave is a C16 or C17 2-light window
- Of volcanic stone
- Square-headed with a chamfered mullion
PORCH
- Gabled
- 2-centred (almost round-headed) outer arch
- Moulded surround
- Roof is original
- 2-bay ceiled wagon roof with chamfered ribs
- North doorway is a 2-centred arch
- Moulded surround
- Above it is a corbel, presumably for an image
Interior
VARIOUS
- Spacious
- Broad nave
- Transept arches
- Tall two-centred tower arch
- Imposts
- Squints from aisles and transepts
- Late C19 unceiled wagon roof by Sedding
- Carved bosses
- Some reused
- Angels in the chancel
- Good furnishings by Sedding
- Including screens, choir stalls, benches, sedilia, wainscot, lectern and south door
- Late C19 carved stone pulpit
- Late C19 marble font
- Norman font with flat square bowl
ARCADES
- Five bay north and south arcades
- Wide moulded four-centred arches
- Granite monolithic piers
- Alternating shafts and hollows
- Moulded capitals and bases
- Carved leaf capitals on aisle chapel arcades
SCREENS
- Fine mid-late C15
- Restored by Sedding
MONUMENTS
- In north chapel
- Hele family
- Circa 1625
- 22 kneeling figures in four tiers
- Central reclining effigy of Sir Thomas Hele in armour
- south aisle
- Small C17 pedimented wall monument
- 1698 wall monument
- South transept
- Peter Perring 1796
- Chancel
- Elizabeth Bulteel 1835
- Female figure standing over a sarcophagus
- James Bulteel and family 1801
- By Coade and Sealy
- Large putti and urn
Other information
The tower dominates the church, an effect emphasised by the tower being at the uphill end of the church.
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