Description

ST EVAL
SW 86 NE
6/190 Church of St Uvelus

GV I

Parish church. Circa late Cll or early C12, the rebuilt north transept may be a C13
addition; in the C15 the nave (except for its north wall) and chancel were rebuilt
and the south aisle with a south porch were added. In 1724-7 the west tower was
rebuilt and the porch was added. Restored by J.D. Sedding and reseated in 1889.
Slate rubble with Catacleuse and granite dressings. Slate roofs with granite coping
to the gable ends.
Plan: Nave, chancel, north transept, north and south porches and west tower.
Development: The Norman north wall of the nave is probably all that remains of the
late Cll or early C12 church. The rebuilt north transept is likely to be of C13
origin and suggests a once cruciform plan church. In the C15 the nave except for its
north wall was rebuilt with an enlarged integral chancel and 6-bay south aisle and
south porch. The former west tower may have also been C15. It collapsed in 1700 and
was re-erected in 1724-7, in the old style, by Bristol merchants as a landmark by
which to navigate their ships. The north porch was also added in 1724. In 1889 the
church was restored by J.D. Sedding; it was reseated and pinnacles were added to the
tower. The roof of the tower was repaired in 1934.
Exterior: Tall early C18 unbuttressed west tower in 3 stages with weathered string
couses, hollow chamfered plinth, cornice and embattled parapet with used granite
octagonal crenellated pinnacles with obelish finials terminating in small balls; the
granite moulded coping to the battlements may also be reused. The tower is built of
slate rubble with bands of dressed stone. Traceried 2-light bell-openings on each
side of the top stage with pierced slate baffles; the tracery appears to have been
used from the earlier tower as is the tracery of the taller light west window. The
moulded west doorway of the tower has a 2-centred arch with a keystone.
At the west end of the north side of the nave there is a small round-headed Norman
window. The C18 gabled north porch has a dressed slate round arch with a granite
keystone dated 1724; the doorway is blocked and the inner doorway is inaccessible.
The north transept has C19 Perpendicular style north and east windows, 3-lights to
the north and 2 lights to the east window.
The chancel has a wide C19 5-light Perpendicular style east window.
The south aisle has the original C15 Perpendicular windows, 5 on the south side of 2
lights with 2-centred arches and one on the east end of 3 lights, all with
hoodmoulds.
The gable south porch has a moulded granite round arch doorway with panelled
polygonal responds and a circa C13 moulded 2-centred arch inner doorway with convex
stops.
Interior: Whitewashed stone rubble interior walls. The nave, chancel and south
aisles have original C15 wagon roofs with moulded ribs and wall plates and carved
bosses; some of the ribs and wall plates over the nave seem to have been replaced.
The porch has a C19 soft-wood wagon roof and the north transept has circa C20 arch-
braced collar trusses. The window rear arches are rough stone and the tall tower
arch has chamfered responds, imposts and a dressed stone round arch. The Norman
north window is deeply splayed internally and has a dressed stone arch on which some
painted mural decoration survives.
The 6-bay granite south arcade has moulded 4-centred arches, Pevsner A-type
monolithic piers with bell-shaped bases and capitals with bands of low relief
stylised leaf carving. The arcade bay under the rood loft is half the width and has
a low Tudor arch.
Simple chamfered 2-centred arch piscina on the south side of the chancel.
Good set of C15 carved bench ends and arcading with tracery reset on the C19 restored
benches; the ends are carved with initials, Instruments of the Passion, shields etc.
The choir stalls are circa early C20.
Only the wainscot of the rood screen survives and this has traceried panels, those in
the south aisle are finely carved with Renaissance influence; the section across the
nave has some remains of colour.
The carved octagonal pulpit is early C17. The carved wooden lecturn is mid to late
C19. The carved wooden reredos and altar are late C19 or early C20. The late C19
altar rail has wrought iron stanchions.
The simple hemispherical font bowl on a short column appears to be C18 but is thought
to be Norman; the octagonal domed font cover with a finial is stored in the north
transept.
In the north transept a C17 table which was probably the altar table.
The Royal Arms on the north wall of the nave is probably of Charles II, painted on
board and overpainted in the C18.
The late C19 organ is by Bryceson Bros. and Morton of London. The 6 bells were
rehung and 2 recast in 1892 and another added in 1907.
There is no stained glass except for a small early C20 memorial window in the
transept, by Jones and Willis of London.
Monuments: 3 good slate rural monuments in the north transept. The best is that to
Simon Leach, died 1672, which is carved in relief and has the inscription in an oval
flanked by pilasters with large acanthus leaves on the shafts and his arms above
flanked by vases of flowers. The other two slate monuments are to William Trevethick
who died in 1692/3 and another William Trevethick who died in 1731.
During the Second World War until 1958 the church as well as being the parish church
was the station church of the R.A.F. and there are various badges displayed on the
church walls of squadrons that flew from the aerodrome in the parish. On the north
wall there is a memorial to a Shackleton aircrew lost in North Borneo. The memorial
was moved from R.A.F. Changi with a font cover (that now in use) when the 205
Squadron withdrew from Singapore.
Source: Pevsner, N. Buildings of England, Cornwall. Kelly's Directory. Church
guide.

Listing NGR: SW8719669180

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529467

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014