Church of St James Slapton, England

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SLAPTON SLAPTON SX8244 Church of St James 12/103 26.1.67

GV I

Parish church. C13 or early C14 with tower. Early C14 chancel. C15 or early C16 nave, aisles and north porch; restored in 1905. Slate rubble, slate roofs with stone-coped gable ends. Plan and development: The existing church comprises:- nave and chancel 4- bay north and south aisles, 2 storey north porch with stair turret in the north west angle and west tower with spire. Bishop Stapledon dedicated the altar in 1318 and the chancel is of this date. The west tower is probably C13 (the first rector 1274-5) or also early C14. After the foundation of the Collegiate Chantry in 1372 the parish church lapsed into poverty, its tithes being appropriated to the Chantry, one of whose priests was appointed to the church. The nave was rebuilt when the north and south aisles and north porch were added in the C15 or early C16. According to Davidson (1842) west galleries were erected in 1832. The church was restored in 1905 at a cost of £1,000. Exterior: North aisle has one 3-light and two 4-light C19 restored perpendicular windows with buttresses and polygonal stair turret between; similar 3 and 4-light east and west windows in north aisle have gabled 2 or 3-storey porch on right (west) end of north side of aisle with polygonal stair turret in west angle with moulded embattled parapet and small lancet; massive roll-moulded and hollow chamfered almost round arched doorway with trefoils in spandrels and label; 2 tier window above with round-headed lights and hood mould with corbel above. Inner doorway has double ovolo and fillet moulded 2-centred arch Beerstone frame and Medieval studded door with large wrought-iron hinges and circa C17 cover moulds. The south aisle has C19 3 and 4-light perpendicular windows similar to those on north aisle and with buttresses between with set-offs; similar windows in east and west ends of south aisle. Small north doorway with doublecyma 2- centred arch. On each of north and south sides of chancel a C14 2-centred arch 2-light cusped tracery window with hood mould; small priest's doorway on south side has double ovolo 2-centred arch with hoodmould and broach stops. 3-light east window with restored circa C15 tracery and hood mould. Chamfered slate plinth around whole of church except for chancel. Unbuttressed west tower with slight batter and diminished top stage with stone octagonal spire with rendered broaches and moulded finial with weathervane. The top stage has slit bell-openings with slate louvres and similar slits below on north and south sides. Large 3-light west window with C19 perpendicular tracery and small C19 perpendicular window below probably block doorway. In the angle of the tower and south aisle a circa late C19 lean-to outshut. Against the porch chamber stair turret is what appears to be a short section of a cross shaft with chamfered corners. Interior: The walls are plastered, the floors paved in slate. Hollow chamfered Beerstone rear arches. Beerstone 4 bay north and south arcades of Type A with wide 2-centred arches, shafts at the corners of the piers, the chamfer between rising into the arches (hollow chamfer on the north arcade and wide recessed chamfer on the south side); carved foliage capitals to the shaft only and with moulded bases. Very tall narrow 2-centred tower arch with chamfered imposts. Late C19 arch-braced roof on wooden corbels to nave aisles and chancels. The east window has nook-shafts. Small C13 or C14 piscina on south side of chancel with cusped moulded arch with broach stops. Rood stair doorway restored. Porch chamber doorway has double ovolo 2-centred arch. Small 2- centred arch piscina on south side of east end of south aisle. Good but restored carved wooden screen across nave and aisles complete with parclose screens in east bays of arcades but canopy missing. Construction of rood stair is said to be unusual. Plain stone octagonal font with thick octagonal stem with broach stops and