Colebrooke Church of St Andrew Basics

VARIOUS

• The tall plain tower arch is now blocked
• A C19 benefaction board mounted on the front
• A plaque to left of the arch records the restoration of the tower, pinnacles and bell chamber windows in 1925-6
• Plain beams to the ringing floor
• Tiny doorway to the tower stairs
  • Volcanic stone 2-centred arch with chamfered surround
  • Contains the original plank door hung on strap hinges
• Between the nave and aisle is a 5-bay Beerstone arcade
  • 1 bay overlapping into the chancel
  • Piers are moulded (Pevsner’s B-Type) with carved foliate caps
• The capital between nave and chancel includes the Coplestone arms
• The wall above is pierced for the rood gallery
• Nave screen removed in 1805
• The floors throughout the church have been replaced with C19 tile
  • In places levels have been altered
• Some defaced graveslabs are included
• Oldest is in the north aisle
• In memory of John Coplestone (died 1457) and his wife Catherine (died 1467)
• The chapel has a C17 table as an altar
• Over south door a painted board with arms of Queen Victoria is dated 1865
• On the floor of the south transept are 2 Beerstone carved grotesque heads
  • Presumably from the Norman-Transitional corbel table

PORCH

• Stone seats each side
• Late C15-early C16 ceiled wagon roof
  • Moulded ribs springing from below wall plate
• Remains of stoup to right of door
• South doorway is a 2-centred volcanic stone arch
  • Its chamfered surround has a rebate cut into it
  • To accommodate the C19 plank door

ROOFS

• Nave, aisle and chancel have ceiled wagon roofs
• Nave roof is late C15-early C16
  • Larger version of that in the porch
  • Plaster ceiling is laid on oak lathes and is probably original
• North aisle roof is original (circa 1460)
  • It also has no bosses
  • But ribs have a different moulding
  • And spring from the top of a plain wall plate
• Chancel roof may contain some C15 or early C16 carpentry
  • But has been heavily restored with C19 oak panels
  • Good carved bosses and embattled wall plate
• There is no chancel arch

FONT

• Late Decorated-early Perpendicular Beerstone
  • Octagonal bowl
  • Sides carved with square panels
  • Containing quatrefoils and alternate panels including a shield
• Around the base a floriated valance
• Tapering stem with panelled sides and moulded base
• Fine early C17 ribbed oak ogee font cover
  • Surmounted by a carved double-faced figure
  • Believed to be a cleric in minor orders
  • Wearing amice, alb and girdle
  • It was later given wings in mistaken belief it represented an angel
• Now has a late Victoria Chain
• And counterweight in the form of a gilt-brass crown.

BENCH ENDS

• A unique survival is the mid C15 oak prie-dieu
  • Now moved from the Coplestone Chapel to the nave
• There is linenfold panelling on the front and back
• The desk and bench ends are carved with grotesque figures framed by wreathed foliage
• The seat panel features a robed figure
• Holding a branch or palm in one hand and the Coplestone arms in the other
• Desk panel features a scaly-skinned ‘wild man’
• Armed with a club and holding tile arms of the George family
• Philip Coplestone married Ann Bonville (of the George family)
• Some of the benches and most of the bench ends are probably late C15-early C16
  • The ends have frames of wreathed foliage springing from vases
  • Panels are carved with various patterns of Perpendicular tracery
  • One, in the north aisle, is unfinished

CHANCEL

• A very fine altar and reredos of 1896
  • By Harry Hems
  • The gift of Francis Synge Silliphant of Combe House
• Built of oak in Gothic style the reredos features a marble relief
  • Representing the Descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost
  • And the Silliphant family and their friends
• Flanked by the figures of St Andrew and John the Baptist
• C19 oak altar rail is supported on reused C18 turned balusters
• Oak choir stalls are late C19
• Pulpit of 1903 by Dart and Francis
• The lectern is the drum of an C18 hexagonal pulpit
  • Built of pine with mahogany veneer and panelled sides

SCREENS

• The chapel screen across the north aisle and the parclose survive
  • Probably dating from circa 1460
• Very unusual being probably the work of imported Breton craftsmen
• The aisle screen is 5 bays with central double doors
  • There is a moulded sole plate
• Lower wainscotting has linenfold panelling
• Windows above are tall with slender mullions enriched with twisted ornament
  • Tracery is flamboyant in style based on ogival and mouchette forms
  • Infilled with an incredibly delicate filigree of tracery
• The pairs of ogee heads in each light had more English looking applied crocketted ogees with poppyhead finials
  • Some of which survive
• Fattened ogee-headed doorway was apparently intended for a different door
• Although the double doors hung on unusually shaped butterfly hinges seem coeval with the screen
• The headbeam has a simple moulding and has mortises in the top for a series of finials
• The 5-bay parclose is similar but not identical
• The tracery of one of the windows here has a cleverly balanced asymmetry
  • Head is unmoulded and has a series of finials with crocketted heads
  • Which include slots up each side for decorative crestwork
• The chapel door is probably original and has an oak draw-bar

SOUTH TRANSEPT

• Late C13-early C14 arch from nave to transept
  • Chamfered double arch ring of volcanic stone
  • On plain semi-circular responds
  • With shallow, soffit-chamfered imposts
• Although the arch looks as though it could be Norman-Transitional work
  • It does not relate well to the rest of the blocked arcade
• On either side of the arch are round-headed squints
  • That to west affording a view of the chantry altar (since removed) from nave
  • That to east affording a view of the high altar from the chantry
• In the transept the walls are stripped of plaster
• There is a piscina with a plain arched hood on east side
• Below the south window 2 recesses with graceful ogee-arched canopies
  • Doubtless surmounted tombs of the Bathe family
• Floor was raised in C19
• Right recess includes a badly defaced graveslab
  • In memory of Elizabeth Poyntingdon of Pennicott (died 1627)

MONUMENTS

• North side of chancel
  • Lady Elizabeth Coryton (died 1677)
    • Comprises a rectangular slate plaque
    • With sonnet obituary
    • Beerstone bolection frame enriched with carved ascanthus Leaf
    • Has architectural framing with flanking free-standing Corinthian columns
    • Dentil cornice over cherubs heads
    • Above is a scrolled pediment
    • With central and smaller flanking heraldic cartouches
    • Cherubs reclining on the scrolls
    • Either side are wings with foliage and masks
    • The soffit-rounded sill carried on scroll consoles
    • Enriched with grotesque faces
    • With a shaped apron between
    • Including a skull and cross bones motif set in a bay leaf garland
    • The traces of ancient colour suggest marbled decoration
  • To the left is the C19 Silliphant mural memorial in white marble
    • Comprises a set of 5 plaques to various members of the family who died between 1822-94
    • With a moulded cornice surmounted by pediment
    • In which is a sunburst motif.
• On south side of chancel
  • Margaret Burrington of West Sandford mural memorial (died 1666)
    • Comprises a rectangular slate plaque
    • Moulded Beerstone frame
    • Surmounted by crowned skulls on pedestals
    • And lozenge-shaped heraldic achievement in a cartouche
  • Next to it is a memorial to Anne Burrington of West Sandford (died 1659)
    • Beerstone frame enriched with egg and dart
    • Both Burrington memorials include obituaries and Anne’s is unusually original
  • In the Coplestone chapel 3 C19 mural memorials;
    White marble memorial in Tudor Gothic style to members of the Hanlyn family
  • Died between 1777 and 1846
  • White marble sarcophagus-shaped plaque on black marble base
  • In memory of Ellen May Pickering (died 1853)
  • Plain white marble memorial to Hugh Horatio Knocker
  • Who died of fever at Jellah Coffee, West Africa in 1869
• In the north aisle
  • Art Nouveau brass plaque on wooden base
  • In memory of Frederick Arscott (died 1925)
  • Includes enamel insets resembling cloisonee, representing angels