Listed Building: CHURCH OF ST PETROCKS (1325740)

PARRACOMBE CHURCHTOWN, Parracombe SS 64 SE 6/122 Church of St. Petrocks - 25.2.65 GV I Former Parish Church now redundant. C13 chancel and probably most of the fabric of the west tower. Nave, south aisle and south porch late C15 or early C16. Interior fittings almost entirely C17/C18. Unrestored in C19 as new church built on new site nearer village (q.v.) Stone rubble with ashlar dressings. Slate roofs. Tower of 3 stages. Embattled parapet and crocketted pinnacles. Short angle buttressses rising to second stage only. Built into the south-west buttress is a stone bearing a quatrefoil above a trefoil headed blind traceried niche set on its side to each face, said to have come from a former churchyard cross. Single round- arched bell-openings with rough stone voussoirs on west and south faces, with much narrower bell-openings to north and east side, all with slate louvres. Single round-arched light to lower stage south side and straight-headed window opening to 2nd stage, north side. Plaque on south side records that tower, 5 windows, east end, porch doors and pulpit were injured by lightning in 1908, and restored in same year. Nave south side has a Perpendicular square-headed window of 2 lights with labelled hoodmould to left of south porch. Depressed pointed arch with Pevsner A- type moulded surround and hoodmould to porch doorway. Slate sundial above ceiled waggon roof. 4-centred arched inner doorway with ogee-hollow-chamferd surround and original ledged door of 4 planks, with cover strips and early iron handle and strap hinges with bifurcated ribs. 2 Perpendicular straight-headed windows to right of porch of 3 lights each. Hoodmoulds with returned ends. 2 stone plaques set in wall between them: RD RT 1685 and C W PP/SH/M. 4-centred arched priests doorway to right with hollow-moulded surround. Slate wall monuments to right with inscription to Joseph Gammon (d.1801). Perpendicular east window to south aisle of three lights with depressed pointed arched hoodmould. Small C13 east window of chancel of pair of lancets. Straight- headed timber windows of 2 round-arched lights to east and west sides of gable-ended vestry. Clay belly chimneypot to brick stack. Perpendicular straight-headed window of 3 lights with labelled hoodmould and possibly C17 ovolo-moulded stone mullion window of 2 lights to north side of room. Interior: remarkably intact C17/C18 interior fitting. Low depressed pointed tower arch. Ceiling wagon roofs throughout those to nave and south aisle have variously carved bosses at the intersections of the ribs and purlins. Perpendicular south arcade of 4 bays with depressed pointed arches and Pevsner 'A' type piers with standard leaf capitals, the chancel bay infilled with an unmoulded semi-circular headed doorway cut through. Altar on raised plinth enclosed on three sides with communion rails with stick balusters with trefoil-headed fretwork between and kneeling boards. 2 slate floor slabs in front, that to left to William Newell (d 1696) and Reverend Richard Landon, Rector of Trentishoe (d.1776) that to right with incised achievement to head and inscription to John Newell, Rector (d.1681). Wall monument in segmental arched recessed above vestry door with fluted pilasters flanking tablet with painted achievement above inscription to Samuel, seventh son of John Flamant gent (d.1755) aged 12 days. Old benches with panelled backs to each side of chancel. Low chancel screen, straight-headed, of four narrow lights to left, 6 lights to right with cusped ogee arches and traceried heads. Above is a timber boarded tympanum with the Lords Prayer, Ten Commandments and Creed in 4 panels and the Royal Arms above. Below Creed 'Walter Lock/Richard Harton/Churchwardens 1758. Box pews complete to north side of nave and to tiered west end, with 2 panelled doors, hinges and peg hooks. Rest of nave and south aisle seated with probably C17 benches with moulded headrails. Pulpit of 3-decker type with ministers reading desk and clerks seat attached. Pulpit has 6 principal facets with 3 fielded panels to each facet end fluted frieze. Door with 3 fielded panels. Octagonal sounding board above with painted soffit and verse 'We preach not ourselves but Jesus Christ the Lord' around the sides. Wall Monuments. Oval medallion with moulded surround to north side of nave with painted verses from Exodus Ch. 25 v. 8, 1st Chronicles Ch. 29. v.1 and 1st Col. Ch. 14, v.40. Similar medallion over south doorway with verses from Ecclesiastes, Chap.5, v.1 and Matthew, Ch.21 v.13. South aisle, south side, 3 C18 wall monuments with timber architraves to Walter Lock (d.1663) and son (d.1732) to David Lock (d.1786), and John Lock (d.1803). Font: probably Norman with circular bowl set on 4 semi-circular half-shafts with engaged colonnettes at the corners originally at Martinhoe Church and brought here in 1908. Listing NGR: SS6747244948