Leusdon Church of St John the Baptist Basics
Listed building grade 2
Regularly open
Address
Church of St John the Baptist
Leusdon
Ashburton
TQ13 7PE
Geographical coordinates
50°32’41.9″N 3°49’20.8″W (enter these in your smartphone navigator)
Devonchurchland says…
Leusdon church is in one of the most stunning positions on Dartmoor, with a view stretching far south down to the sea.
The building is a fine creation too, built in 1863 in the Old English style, with a south tower and good granite stonework.
The interior is modest befitting its size, with some marvellous stained glass, including two windows by AA Orr, including a very moving memorial window to a lad killed in WWI.
There is a very fine altar back carved by Herbert Read in the medieval style, along with good stencilling on the organ pipes.
In truth it is the modesty and the placement of the church that wins over all, though the stained glass is absolutely splendid for sure.
Outline
PLAN
- Chancel
- South porch
- South tower attached to junction of nave and chancel
AGE
- 1863 by J W Rowell of Newton Abbot
- Architect to the Palk estate
BUILT FROM
- Squared granite rubble
- Details in limestone, probably Bath stone
- Slated roof
Exterior
SOUTH TOWER
- 2-stage
- Flanking buttresses at the base
- South face a clock
- Under a triangular stone canopy
- Belfry has paired, trefoil-headed lancets in each face
- Thin bracketed cornice above
- Finished with a parapet
NAVE
- Side-walls have 2-light windows
- Pointed arches
- Lights with trefoiled heads and
- Quatrefoil in the head of the window
CHANCEL
- Trefoiled lancet windows
EAST AND WEST WINDOWS
- Trefoil-headed lights
- 3 on the east
- 4 on the west
- 3 quatrefoils in the heads of the windows
Interior
VARIOUS
- Very simple
- Pointed, double-chamfered chancel arch
- Alternating limestone and granite blocks.
- Carved limestone pulpit
- Grey marble balusters
- Octagonal limestone font
- Pink marble shaft
- Carved wood reredos of circa 1907
- 4 stained glass windows
- 2 of them of circa 1879 and 1915
- Third is inscribed with the name A A Orr, Harrow, 1912
- Initials A A O appear on the window of circa 1915.
- Built and endowed by Mrs C R Larpent
- “in lieu of the long ruined chapel of St Leonard, at Spitchwick”
Other information
Designed in a “geometrical decorated style”
Parish church, originally a chapel-of-ease of Widecombe
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