Description

SX 38 SE BRADSTONE BRADSTONE

5/14 Church of St Nonna
-
GV I

21.3.67

Parish church. Circa C12 origins with possibly nave, south door and chancel of that
date. C13 tracery in south wall of chancel, possibly contemporary with dedication by
Bishop Brondescombe in 1261. Nave and chancel heightened and north aisle added circa
C15. Circa C15 west tower. Stone rubble nave and chancel with east wall of chancel
partly rebuilt. Ashlar north aisle, west tower and south porch. Moulded plinth to
north aisle and west tower. Ragslate roofs with nave and chancel in one. West tower
of 3 stages with battlemented parapet and octagonal, crenellated turrets with heavy
crocketted pinnacles. Surmounted by 3 stone crosses. Fourth cross in south porch.
Angle buttresses. West door with 4-centred arch with hood. 3-light Perpendicular
tracery above in 4-centred arch with hood. South side with lancet window with cusped
head and rectangular hood. 2-light belfry openings on 4 faces with cusped heads.
Slate tracery with ventilation holes. North aisle with 3-light Perpendicular tracery
beneath 4-centred arches with hoodmoulds in west window, 2 north aisle windows and
east north aisle window. Blocked north door with segmental arch with incised
triangles in spandrels. Rectangular hood. East wall of chancel partly rebuilt with
3-light perpendicular window with cusped heads. South wall of chancel with 2, circa
C13 single cusped lancel windows in earlier round rear arches on interior. Low
buttress between. Larger stepped buttress to west with Perpendicular 3-light window
beneath segmental arch. Probably contemporary with raising of south nave and chancel
walls. Gabled south porch with moulded 2-centred arch. Inner south door in taller
partly blocked Norman arch. Latter with simply moulded arch and tall thin engaged
round columns (once decorated) with stylized cushion capitals. Within, 2-centred
moulded arch. Circa C15 waggon roof to nave, sealed with moulded ribs and carved
bosses. Renewed to chancel with partly renewed bosses. North aisle waggon roof,
circa C15. Moulded ribs with carved bosses and carved wall plate. Renewed arcade
plate. One of bosses carved with datestone 1718. Possibly date of a restoration.
Waggon roof to south porch partly renewed. Part of earlier roof possibly lying
outside against south wall of nave. Porch roof with remains of earlier wall plate,
moulded ribs and some carved bosses. Central boss with well carved figure head. 4-
bay north aisle with Cornish type A (Pevsner) granite moulded piers. Moulded bases
and capitals with castellated abacci. C19 Furnishings. Circa C13 octagonal font
with round bowl. Very simple Holy water stoup on south wall of nave comprising 3
pieces of thin blue limestone laid in a triangle. Square bowl. Possibly C12.
Carved head, also possibly C12, on south wall between 2 lancet windows. Remains of
rood loft stair on north wall.
6 bells. 5 recast in 1827, the sixth added in 1928. Several reset slate lids to
tombchests on exterior of south proch and nave including those to John Cumbe, 1604,
Robert Coumbe 1743 and Anna 1750.
Watercolour by Rev. Thomas Johnes, circa 1825, illustrates the interior of the church
prior to restoration. It shows several of the bench ends are decorated with circa
C15 carvings. Also depicts a tall pulpit, the font with a tall cover and a rood
screen surmounted by Royal Arms, the Creed and the Lord's Prayer.
N Pevsner The Buildings of England. Devon
Church guide.

Listing NGR: SX3812480902

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Nonna at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5117665

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

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  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings