Ermington Church of St Peter and St Paul Basics
Listed building grade 1
Regularly open
Address
Church of St Peter and St Paul
Ermington
Ivybridge
Devon
PL21 9NJ
Geographical coordinates
50°21’45.7″N 3°54’54.6″W (enter these in your smartphone navigator)
Devonchurchland says…
Take the footpath from the village and the view of this wonderful church is a stunner, not only beautifully situated but also a magnificent building; Its spire alone is worth a lot of love.
There is a fine, stately interior, helped enormously by the flood of light through the page, clear windows.
And then there is the wood work. Just wonderful.
Benches and benchends by Trusk of Somerset, beautifully carved with patterns and foliage and even a monkey or two.
The Pinwill sisters learnt their trade here, and the pulpit is one of their first commissions, carved by all three.
The altar back (reredos) by Violet Pinwill alone, later in her career, is not only a beautiful work of art but also shows how her skills grew and expanded over her life.
Let us not forget the stone monument in the south chapel though, because that is is a little piece of awesome of Renaissance carving. Almost worth the visit alone.
The spider web leading on the clear windows is outstanding.
All in all, a stunning church inside and out. Well worth time spent.
Outline
PLAN
- Nave
- Chancel
- North and south aisle
- North and south transepts
- South west porch
- West tower and spire
AGE
- C13, C14 and C15
- Although some of the fabric of the Norman church may survive
- Nave and chancel in one, the chancel C14
- Restored by J D Sedding circa 1889
BUILT FROM
- Stone rubble with freestone dressings
- Slate roofs
Exterior
WEST TOWER
- Circa C13 with thin corner buttresses
- Each with one set-off
- Small lancet bell-openings
- C19 perpendicular west window
- Embattled parapet on a corbel-table
- Circa early C14 stone needle-spire with conspicuous twist
- Spire rebuilt in 1850s retaining the original twist.
AISLES
- Long C15 north and south aisles
- Three-light Perpendicular windows
- Four-light Perpendicular east window
- Priest’s door on the south side
- Multi-cusped ogee arch
- Walls all round have buttresses with set-offs
TRANSEPTS
- C14 north and south transepts
- Curvilinear and Perpendicular traceried windows
CHANCEL
- Perpendicular five-light east window
PORCH
- Circa C14
- In the angle of west end of the south aisle
- Undressed slate two-centred arch
- Late C15 south door
- Massive moulded granite four-centred arch
- Carved spandrels and label,
- Inside the rear arch is round
- Niche inside porch contains head of C15 cross
Interior
NAVE
- C15 five-bay north arcade and three-bay south arcade
- Two further smaller bays to the chancel aisle
- All with moulded four-centred arches on monolithic granite piers
- Each with four shafts and with hollows in the diagonals
- Moulded capitals and bases
- Similar transept arches
- Tall undressed slate tower arch
VARIOUS
- C19 unceiled wagon roofs
- Doorways and stairs to rood loft in south aisle
PISCINAS
- Multi-cusped and ogee-headed
- In south transept and south wall of chancel
- Another cusped arch piscina in south transept
WOODWORK
- Restored mid C17 wooden rood-screen
- C19 columns replacing balusters
- An entablature with carved frieze
- Screen in the tower arch
- Twisted balusters
- Remainder of furnishings late C19 or early C20
- Some by J.D. Sedding
- Carved choir stalls, benches
- Carved by Trusk of Somerset
- Parclose screens, pulpit, lectern, font cover
- Large reredos in alabaster depicting the Adoration
- Most carved by Pinwill Sisters or Violet Pinwill
- See Pinwill Catalogue
MONUMENTS
- South chapel
- Tomb chest with brass effigies
- William Strashleigh 1583, and wife
- South aisle wall
- Adrian Swete 1733
- South side wall of nave.
- Margaret Rich 1675
Other information
The woodwork and the structure are the stars in this one.
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