Lydford Church of St Petrock Basics
Listed building grade 2*
Regularly open
Address
Church of St Petrock
Lydford
Okehampton
EX20 4BH
Geographical coordinates
50°38’35.5″N 4°06’36.0″W (enter these in your smartphone navigator)
Devonchurchland says…
A well known church this one, not least for the very pretty village around it, Lydford Castle beside it and Lydford Gorge just down the road. That does not mean that Lydford church suffers in comparison, it is a beaut.
A mighty impressive tower too, granite as Dartmoor churches should be, and a very pretty churchyard.
Inside it is a glorious mixture of golden-brown woodwork, bare stone and stained glass. Very nice indeed.
The rood screen alone is worth the visit, an intricately carved glory by the Pinwill Sisters, designed by Frederick Bligh Bond.
Then there is the grotto-esque chancel with a lovely East Window showing the Parable of the Sower (do not miss the oxen), plus more quality stained glass scattered around including two 17th century Flemish beauties.
The font is big toughie too, Norman or even Saxon, very impressive.
On one wall there is the Watchmaker’s Epitaph, a finely carved inscription to a local man full of word play and humour.
Finally the bench ends are a delight, not only the figures of the saints but even more so the edges, full of local wildlife and plants. Just a charm.
Outline
PLAN
- Nave
- Chancel
- North and south aisles
- West tower
- South porch
AGE
- Main building periods are C13, C15
- Earliest fabric survives in the chancel
- Substantially rebuilt and extended in the C15
- Enlarged and restored 1889-90
- North aisle added in restoration
BUILT FROM
- Mainly of coursed granite ashlar
- Some stone rubble
- Gable ended slate roofs
Exterior
WEST TOWER
- 3 stages
- Set-back buttresses
- Battlemented
- Crocketted pinnacles
- Heavily moulded west doorway
- 4-centred arch
- Hoodmould
- Late Perpendicular 3-light window above
SOUTH AISLE
- All late C19 windows
VESTRY & CHANCEL
- Late C19 vestry at east end of aisle
- This and the chancel have 2 late C19 3-light Perpendicular-style window
- South wall of the chancel has a 2-light C15 cinquefoiled window
PORCH
- Single storey
- Moulded 4-centred arched doorway
- Chamfered on the inside
SOUTH TRANSEPT
- Single light trefoil-headed window on east Side
- 2-light window on south side
- Label stops
- Short engaged columns
- Capitals to the inner face
- Floriated corbels
- 4-light window with renewed tracery
- With 2-lights on each side
- Splaying outwards from the angle of the south transept and nave
NORTH AISLE
- Re-uses material from original north wall
- Including 2-centred arched doorway
- And 1- and 2-light cinquefoiled windows
- East end is a late Perpendicular granite, 2-light window
Interior
NAVE & AISLES
- Restored wagon roof
- South aisle arcade has 3 bays
- Granite depressed 4-centred double chamfered arches
- Pevsner A-type piers
- With cup capitals and bases
- North aisle arcade is an exact replica
- In the south wall is a piscina
- Arched opening
- A squint from this aisle through to the sanctuary
- Good tall 4-centred tower arch
- Jambs are carved with ogee-headed panels
- Chancel arch similar to arcades
- The tub-font may be pre-Norman
- Made from a solid block of Hurdwick stone
WOODWORK & CARVING
- Date mostly from the late C19 and early C20
- Pew-ends and screen particularly are of a good quality
- Samuel Hooper of Hatherleigh was responsible for the restoration
- Misses Pinwell of Ermington carved the elaborate screen
- The wagon roofs also date from this restoration
CHANCEL
- In north wall is an original pointed cinquefoiled lancet
- Not visible outside due to the addition of the vestry
- In south wall a trefoil-headed piscina
FONT
- C12 probably
- Simple bowl on a stem
- Recut cable moulding
STAINED GLASS
- Some C15-C16 glass in the east window of the north aisle
- And the south-west window of the chancel
PORCH
- The south doorway is of granite
- Simply chamfered
- An acute 4-centred arch
- Stone seats
Other information
A beautiful church beautifully situated
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