Description

KINGS NYMPTON KINGS NYMPTON
SS 61 NE
3/146 Church of St James
20.2.67
GV I
Parish church. C13 west tower, north wall of nave and chancel and possibly some
fabric to north transept. The latter was remodelled probably when the south aisle
was added in the late C15 or early C16. The south porch is probably early C16.
Interior largely remodelled in C18, and apart from some refenestration work, the
rebuilding of the east end wall of the chancel and refurbishment of the spire there
appears to have been no major later restoration.
Unrendered stone rubble with ashlar dressings. Some roughcast rendering to north
side. Slate roof with coped gable ends to south aisle and chancel with apex crosses.
Fishscale patterned slates to spire.
Plan: west tower, nave, chancel, south aisle, south porch and vestry. Probably
originally a cruciform plan church, the south transept later extended into an aisle.
Exterior: low unbuttressed west tower with small narrow openings to each face, and
C19 Perpendicular style west window of 3 lights. Broach spire has 2-light timber
lucarnes to each face, ball finial and weathervane. South aisle has battlemented
parapet. Principally C19 Perpendicular style 3-light windows at each end and 4 to
south side with intermediate buttresses. C18 rainwater heads to each side of porch
which has coped gabled slated roof. Slate sundial dated 1846 over Perpendicular
pointed arched doorway with ogee-moulded surround. Rich unceiled cross-ribbed wagon
roof of small panels, every alternate main rib moulded with carved bosses at the
intersections. Moulded timber wall plate supported on stone corbels. Perpendicular
pointed arched inner doorway with hollow moulded surround and incorporating section
of Celtic cross shaft in step. C18 raised and fielded round-headed door,
incorporating reused medieval traceried panels to the uppermost rear ledge. 2 C18
stone headstones to Lane family mounted on south aisle towards west end, and 2 on
east side of south porch to Webber family. Ogee moulded surround to priests door
below easternmost window. C19 straight-headed Perpendicular style window to south
side of chancel, and 3-light pointed arched window to east end of chancel, also C19.
Vestry east side Perpendicular straight-headed window of 2 cusped headed lights and
Perpendicular style 3-light window to north end of transept, otherwise north side is
blind.
Interior: south arcade of 5 bays with piers of Pevsner 'A' type and capitals only to
the main shafts. Unmoulded C13 pointed tower and transeptal arches. Ceiled
Perpendicular wagon roofs to south aisle and nave, the south aisle with trailing leaf
decoration to the carved wall plates, the nave with crenellated wall plates and
larger, more elaborate carved bosses at the intersections of the ribs. The ceilure
is particularly elaborate, panelled and with diagonal ribs. Plain-ceiled wagon roof
to north transept. The chancel has unusually a wagon roof plastered in the mid C18
and richly painted with clouds surrounding the sun, moon and a large cross bearing
inscriptions. Large C18 reredos with fluted Ionic pilasters flanking the commandment
boards and central sunburst painting. C18 communion rails with alternating twisted
balusters and columns, and table with turned balusters. C18 tiled altar step.
Fine early C16 screen of 8 1/2 bays complete with ribbed coving and 3 bands of ornament
to the cornice. Pevsner Type 'A' standard tracery. Blind traceried decoration to
the coving except at right end where 1 1/2 bays are enriched with human figures etc.
Rood steps from north transept. Virtually complete complement of C18 box pews,
tiered at the west end, with raised and fielded panels and butterfly hinges. C18
pulpit with raised and fielded panels to the drum and base, and C19 handrail. Timber
doorway in north chancel wall with 4-centred head and studded 2-plank door, probably
C16. C17 panelling in south aisle at east end, formerly the Pollard Chapel, with
strapwork and linenfold decoration. The font, probably C18, has gadrooned lead-
lined bowl on baluster shaft. Painted Royal Arms dated 1742 over south porch
doorway.
Glass: shield of painted glass in the easternmost window of the south aisle
quartering the arms of Pollard of King Nympton Park. East window of south aisle has
window to James and Elizabeth Tanner, dated 1873 and at the chancel east end to Rev.
William Nicholson, 1892. Tower window has late C19 glass in poor condition.
Monuments. Chancel, north wall: To James Smith d.1667. Slate and alabaster
surround with broken pediment, skull to base and pilasters with hour glass motif; and
Richard Keats d.1812. North transept has C18 nowy-arched painted verse boards. Nave
north side; Samuel Johnson died 1802 and other members of family; Rev. Adam Foskett
died 1874, drowned in River Mole aged 29. 2 charity slates to south aisle. Funeral
helm at east end of south aisle over arch of end bay.

Listing NGR: SS6822219453

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17526701

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

• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)