Listing Text

ALVERDISCOTT
SS52NW
4/27 Church of All
4.10.60 Saints (formerly
listed as Parish
Church of All Saints)
GV. II *
Anglican parish church. 15th century; north aisle built 1579;
restored 1863. Squared and coursed slatestone; gabled
stone-coped slate roof. Plan: Chancel, nave with north aisle,
west tower. Perpendicular-style fenestration of 1863 to chancel
and south wall of nave. Chancel has 3-light east window, and
2-light square-headed windows with trefoiled lights flanking
south door of 1863. South wall of nave, which has offset
buttress of 1863, has two 2 and 3-light windows flanking porch of
1863: porch, which has round-arched doorway, leads to
Norman-style round-arched doorway of 1863 with chamfered imposts.
North aisle of 1579, has label moulds with block stops over 3
Perpendicular 3-light windows, which have trefoiled and
ogee-headed lights with Mouchettes to spandrels and quatrefoil
heads. C15 three-stage tower with string courses: C15 three-light
Perpendicular window above 3-centred arched moulded west doorway
with mid C19 door; one-light cinquefoiled windows; projecting
stair-turret to south with slit lights; crenellated parapet with
crocketed pinnacles.
Interior: chancel interior of 1863 has Decorated-style tracery to
reredos, flanked by The Ten Commandments set in crocketed and
cinquefoiled canopies; waggon roof with blue-painted panels and
gilt detailing; chancel arch has moulded inner order set on
corbels of angels holding shields. Nave has 3-bay arcade and
roof of 1863, which has chamfered granite pillars with cushion
capitals supporting heavy timber arcade plate and arch-braced
roof. South aisle: late C13 pointed-arched doorway with convex
moulding and bar stops to vestry; fine waggon roof with moulded
ribs and carved bosses, built 1579 for Richard Beller. West
tower has medieval inlaid floor tiles, and pointed-arched doorway
with convex moulding to stair turret. Porch has medieval inlaid
floor tiles and late C16 arch-braced roof with bosses carved on
collar purlin. Fittings: vine-leaf decoration to cornice, set on
mid C19 base; late C12 cushion-type font, with relief-carved
rosettes to sides and fleur-de-lys to soffits, with mid C19 base
and coves, mid C19 (probably 1863) choir stalls, communion rail
and pews. Monuments in south aisle: Baroque wall monument to
Gilbert Hody (d. 1705), has heraldic cartouche set in broken
scrolled pediment with angels set above oval cartouche framed by
Tuscan columns with richly carved rosettes and sways. Very fine
life-size effigy of Thomas Welshe, d. 1639, on tomb chest: the
subject's "Van Dyke" (Pevsner) dress is finely detailed and he is
shown holding a prayer book: he is carved in sentimental fashion.
(Buildings of England: North Devon, pp. 38-9; National Monuments
Record).

Listing NGR: SS5195025257