Description

AVETON GIFFORD VILLAGE CENTRE SX 64 NE 4/35 Church of St Andrew 26.1.67 GV II* Anglican parish church. Second half of C13, but extensively rebuilt and modi- fied, 1957-1970, following major bomb damage in 1943. Major restoration also made 1868. Rubble, slate roofs to coped gables. Cruciform with central tower, north porch, aisless nave, transepts and chancel; chapels formerly flanking chancel not rebuilt after bombing. Prominent circular stair turret south-west corner of tower. West end has 4-light C14 style window with sexfoil over quatrefoil tracery. Corner buttresses, with offsets to eaves height. South side has two 4-light with dripmoulds and voussoirs; circular stair turret to conical roof, pointed door, 2 slits. South transept plain to west, 4-light window, corner buttresses; east face has 3-light window inset to walling filling original arch to chantry chapel. South face of chancel similar arcade fill with two 3-light windows; east end with diagonal buttresses, 4-light window to drip- mould, similar to west end. North wall has 3-light with dripmould and vous- soirs. Internal corner to north transept has vestry with lean-to roof, and at north end a section of wall to former chantry chapel. North gable of transept has 4-light to dripmould. Porch, which was not destroyed in 1943, has 2-light C14 window over pointed arch with six hollow chamfers to jambs in a slatey and much worn stone and 3 much worn colonnettes, the bases just discernible; west side has octagonal stair turret with quatrefoil light, and east side a cusped lancet from a single stone. Slate floor, C19 ceiling on brackets, splendid C13 inner doorway in richly moulded surround with paired columnsl; mouldings die to crude cylindrical 'stops', as to outer doorway. Nave north side has a lancet each side of porch. Windows generally are in C14 style. Central tower has plain square base, middle range with louvred lights to bell stage, and crenel- lated parapet: the tower had to be rebuilt a second time, in 1966, after the wartime destruction. Interior: nave has slate floor, plastered walls, barrel roof in 6 x 10 compartments with bosses, north wall small blind C13 opening and two lancets in deep rere-arches on colonnettes. Moulded doorhead breaks through moulded string, which returns at west end, stepped down at window. Double hollow mould tower arch, 3 Early English columns and capitals. Intrados to north tower arch has 191 figure in niche to Bishop Stapletone, c.1300; C20 screen. Chancel has barrel roof similar to nave, in 6 x 7 compartments; remains of arcades have granite piers to trumpet capitals. Piscina with wave mould to arch. North transept, wood floor, 6 x 5 compartment ceiling, blind arch to east has granite piers and interlace or cable-mould capitals. South transept similar. Fittings: Octagonal C14 granite font with panel decorations, stone altar table, C20 pews. Memorials: Two white marble Greek tablets nave south, 1813 and 1834, Kingsbridge Sculptors. In north transept, to John Hurrell, 1751 etc; big square slate to John Honeychurch, d.1662, very shallow cut to lettering, three brasses of 1874, 1917 and 1925. Sanctuary has white marble to Rev Benjamin Kerr Vaughan, d.1847 aged 87; he was vicar for 57 years. Tablet records that the ICBS gave £30 in 1868 (at the time of a major restoration), to provide 56 extra seats, giving a total then of 362 places. The bombing of 1943 left a towerless building with no roofs; a series of bombs was released on the village by a stray aircraft at the time, causing considerable damage. A panel in the east wall of the porch records:

"Built in the fourteenth century, destroyed 26 January 1943, restored 1948-1957, reconsecrated by the Bishop of Exeter 12 October 1957. New tower built in 1970."

Listing NGR: SX6959047840

External Links

• Wikidata Q17533240

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