Description

SHEBBEAR SHEBBEAR
SS 40 NW
6/80 Church of St Michael
-
4.10.60
- II*
Parish church. Main periods of construction are Norman, C14 and C15, renovated
1875-92. Rubble walls, rendered to tower and west end. Gable-ended slate roofs.
Plan: nave, chancel, south aisle and chapel west tower and south porch. Nave and
chancel date to Norman period, south aisle, porch and probably tower added in C14,
chancel rebuilt in C15.
Exterior: 2 stage battlemented west tower with obelisk finials and set-back
buttresss. Inserted C19 2-centred doorway on south wall. Cinquefoiled belfry
lights and small square-headed light on south wall. North wall of nave has an early
C14 3-light window with intersecting tracery towards its west end. The other 2
windows are larger C19 copies with hoodmoulds. Chancel has C15 style square-headed
north window with cinquefoiled lights. Gable-ended C19 vestry and brick lean-to
built out from north chancel wall. Both east windows are C19 of 2-lights in
Decorated and Perpendicular styles. The south chapel projects slightly from the
aisle with a 3-light C15 style cinquefoiled window and rebuilt 2-centred priest's
doorway. The 5 aisle windows are all C19 in the Decorated style apart from the most
westerly which is identical to the C19 windows on the north wall. Single storey
gabled porch has pointed arch doorway with hollow and roll moulded and double
chamfered outer and inner arches. Interior: very fine Norman south doorway which
has a 2-centred arched head with 3 orders of billet, beak-head and zig-zag mouldings
and nook-shafts with cushion capitals. Porch contains remains of a trefoil-headed
holy water stoup.
C14 arcade to south aisle of 4 bays with pointed chamfered arches springing from
square chamfered piers with no capitals. At the east to end, between the chancel
and the chapel are 2 C15 4-centred arches on Pevsner A-type piers. Modern plastered
chancel arch and between aisle and chapel. Pointed low massive tower arch.
Internal walls are rendered.
On north side of chancel is narrow 2-centre arched doorway. Ogee-headed piscina in
south wall. Small piscina on east pier of nave. Wagon roofs to nave, chancel and
chapel restored in 1909 retaining old timbers and renewing bosses, the chancel
preserves its old carved wall-plate. Rood screen removed 1815.
Very good Jacobean 5-side pulpit which is richly carved - each side having 3 arcaded
panels with strapwork motif at the top and robust carved figures at each corner.
The thistles and roses motif on the front panel indicates that it was not made until
James's I time. The lectern displays the same grotesque figures as the pulpit and
the reading desk may incorporate some of the work from the screen.
Built low into the south wall is the medieval stone effigy of a lady reputed to be
the "Lady of Ladford" responsible for building the aisle. She has a rosary hanging
from one wrist and wears a gown with a pleated collar and a flowing widows veil the
style of costume suggests a date of 1350 - 1450.
2 C17 wall memorials survive on the north chancel wall. One dated 1692 has a slate
plaque with high relief plaster surround and scrolled pediment with skulls. The
other is to William Battishill, vicar, buried 1666 and is of slate with a nowy head
which is carved with a coat of arms and 2 skulls and has a decorative border.
Several C19 marble wall memorials. C19 or early C20 octagonal font.
This church preserves some very early fabric with a notable Norman doorway; its
subsequent development is interesting and good internal features from various
periods survive.

Listing NGR: SS4384509228

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17536689

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

• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2