Kennerleigh Church of St John the Baptist Basics
Listed building grade 2*
Regularly open
Address
Church of St John the Baptist
Kennerleigh
Crediton
EX17 4RS
Geographical coordinates
50°51’16.0″N 3°40’42.2″W (enter these in your smartphone navigator)
Devonchurchland says…
A lovely little country church in a lovely little parish. Its history goes back to the 1300s when a chapel of ease dedicated to St Clement was built here, and this is it. This church used to be dedicated to St Clement too.
Remarkably, there still seems a fair amount of the 14th century work still here, the tower almost definitely and a large part of the chancel. The nave has been more rebuilt with a north aisle added in the 15th century.
The tower especially is worth a while, almost Brutalist in its nature, while the chancel south wall is a thing too.
Inside there is a gorgeous atmosphere of soft light through the subtly coloured windows, with some lovely pillar and archwork. Nice font too.
The chancel is small, as its age might fit, bare stone, almost a little sacred grotto, and has some very attractive medieval roofbosses with traces of the original colouring.
There is a unique roofboss in the aisle of the demon Titivillus, extraordinarily good. I haven’t seen anything quite like it in Devon.
All in all a good place to spend an hour or so.
Outline
PLAN
- Nave
- Narrower and slightly lower chancel
- North aisle
- West tower
- South porch
AGE
- Tower and chancel C14
- North aisle C15
- All thoroughly renovated 1847-8
BUILT FROM
- Red sandstone
- Volcanic and mudstone rubble
- Beerstone, Hamstone and red sandstone ashlar detail
- Slate roofs
Exterior
WEST TOWER
- Low
- Unbuttressed
- 2 stages
- Embattled parapet and small pinnacles
- Dwarf pyramidal roof
- Surmounted by C20 brass moline cross
- Segmental arches over belfry windows
- Restored with C19 brick
- On west side C19 segmental arch has contemporary plank door
- Unusual wrought iron strap hinges
NAVE
- Largely rebuilt in mid C19
- Includes 4 Hamstone square-headed windows
- C16 style
- Square-headed with round-headed lights;
- Two 2-light left of porch and two 3-light to right
- The right (east) end has large red sandstone quoins
- Part of a chamfered plinth
- Probably C15 work
CHANCEL
- Fabric is rubble tending to courses
- Some may be C14
- Including the blocked pointed arch of the priest’s door
- And to the right a narrow lancet
- Both of volcanic ashlar
- The red sandstone quoins and east chancel window
- (2-light Perpendicular with ogee heads and trefoil cusping)
- Are mid C19 restorations
NORTH AISLE
- 3-light window in east end of north aisle
- On north side 2 square-headed volcanic windows
- With elliptical-headed lights
- May be C15
PORCH
- Gable-ended
- 2-centred arch of red sandstone and Beer stone
Interior
NAVE & AISLE
- Almost round-headed south doorway
- Containing a C17 plank door
- Moulded cover strips
- Restored in C19
- Low, almost round-headed tower arch
- With plain volcanic voussoirs
- 4-bay arcade
- 3 to nave and 1 to chancel
- Whitewashed ashlar
- The moulded piers (Pevsners A Type) have plain caps only to the attached columns
- The arches are low and broad
- Part of the 1848 renovation
- As too is the double chancel arch
- C19 parquet floor
- Includes one memorial slab to Amas Blagg (died 1732)
- The fittings and furnishings are all Victorian Gothick
- Although vestry screen appears to include a length of C16 carved oak cornice
- Possibly from a rood screen
- Brass lectern dated 1894
CHANCEL
- Sanctuary lancet window filled with fragments of ancient stained glass
- Including a crown, a Tudor rose and grissaille
- Hollow-chamfered rear arch to east chancel window
- Includes stained glass of 1860
ROOFS
- Nave has C19 plaster barrel vault ceiling
- Crenellated wall plate
- North aisle has much restored wagon roof
- Many of the carved oak bosses are original C15
- Chancel has an ornate wagon roof
- Restored but retains much original C16 carving and carpentry
- Moulded ribs and intersecting straight windbraces
- Carved flat bosses
- Carved fernleaf wall plate
FONT
- Beer stone font bowl
- Good C15 work
- Decorated with quatrefoils on panels
- Band of foliage ornament underneath,
- Set on C19 pedestal
Other information
Mostly restored late Perpendicular
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