Langtree Church of All Saints Basics
Listed building grade 2*
Regularly open
Address
Church of All Saints
Langtree
Torrington
EX38 8NS
Geographical coordinates
50°55’07.6″N 4°12’20.2″W (enter these in your smartphone navigator)
Devonchurchland says…
Langtree church is peaceful place tucked away on a hillside in North West Devon. Very pretty position for sure, something that our Devon churches are mighty good at.
There is some grand stonework on the inside, granite mainly, with pillars and arches really boasting away, and some deceptively simple Victorian pews which have their own attractions.
There is a good 17th century pulpit probably carved by a Flemish or French craftsman based in Exeter, well worth a good look.
Also in the nave is a good George II plaster coat of arms, unusual to see as most royal coat of arms in Devon, especially in the countryside, are painted on board.
The modest nave has some marvellous wood carvings too, all Flemish, all 17th century. On the altar there is a Supper at Emmaus, a really nice depiction, and on two chair backs there are scenes from the Passion of Christ. These carvings truly are fabulous.
The Victorian East Window is worth a look too.
Back down the nave there is a 15th century granite font, deeply carved with symbols and a Lamb of God. This too is unusual, as granite is one of the hardest stones around to carve and by this time they were generally using limestone fonts.
Well worth a visit this church, for the Flemish carvings as much as everything else
Outline
PLAN
- Nave
- Long chancel
- North aisle
- West tower
- South porch
AGE
- C15 to early C16
- Restored in 1865-6
BUILT FROM
- Stone rubble walls
- Gable-ended slate roof
Exterior
WEST TOWER
- Coped, gabled
- 3-stage
- Castellated
- Short square pinnacles
- Corner buttresses up to top of 1st stage
- Pentagonal stair turret on south side
- Late C19 inserted west doorway
- Shouldered head
- Restored 3-light Perpendicular west window
- Blocked 2-light belfry opening
NORTH AISLE
- Blocked 2-centred arched doorway at west end.
- On its north face are 5 early C16 3-light stone mullion windows
- In relatively original state
- 2 westernmost windows and that to the east have 2-centred lights
- The other 2 windows have cinquefoil lights
- All have square hoodmoulds
- Perpendicular east window to aisle
- Completely restored 4-light east window in Decorated style
CHANCEL
- South wall has 2 C19 windows
- Cinquefoil heads
- Restored Tudor arched priest’s door between them
NAVE
- 3-light partly restored early C16 window
- With 4-centred treads
- Towards west end
- C19 4-light C15 style mullion window
- Towards east end
PORCH
- Gabled
- Chamfered round-arched rubble doorway
- Slate sundial in gable dated 1641
- Possibly C14 red sandstone south doorway
- With 2-centred head
- Rebated hollow chamfer
Interior
VARIOUS
- 6-bay granite arcade of Pevsner A-type piers
- Moulded cup capitals
- 4-centred arches
- Hollow and roll moulding
- Very tall similar 2-centred tower arch
- Fits awkwardly to the wall either side
- Suggesting that some rebuilding has taken place here
- Old wagon roofs survive
- Simply moulded and chamfered ribs
- Carved bosses and wall-plate, crenellated to the nave
- Good 5-sided late C17 pulpit
- Richly carved with festoons and angel heads
- Acanthus leaves in frieze
- Bolection moulded panels.
- C15 octagonal granite font
- Panels carved in quatrefoils, crosses and other religious emblems.
- Good pedimented wall memorial of 1688 in north aisle
- To Abraham Bamfield Gent
- Incorporating marble panel with column either side
- There are several C18 floor memorials at the east end of the nave
CHANCEL
- 2 sanctuary chairs incorporate Flemish C17 carved panels
- Depicting Christ bearing the cross and the descent from the cross.
- The altar also has a carved wooden panel
- Flemish, C17
- Depicting Christ with the disciples at Emmaus
ROYAL COAT OF ARMS
- On north wall
- Unusually in plaster relief
- Angel head in pediment above
- Columns either side
- With stiff leaf capitals
- Surmounted by obelisks which have strapwork motifs in their pedestals
- A curiously archaic design for George I – whose arms are depicted
- And George II whose name is recorded
Other information
The nave and tower may be pre-Perpendicular but exhibit features mostly dating only to the C15.
The north aisle has late C15/early C16 windows but these may date from a remodelling rather than rebuilding of the church
The restoration of 1865 – 6 included the opening up of the tower arch, reseating and rebuilding of the south chancel wall.
C19 vestry added to north of chancel
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