MDE11920 - St Brendan's Church, Brendon (Building)

St Brendan's Church was built in 1738, with much restoration and rebuilding in the 19th Century. It replaced a church of 12th Century foundation at Cheriton and the 12th Century font may have come from there.

St Brendan's Church is centred at SS 7500 4773. It was built in the 18th Century with substantial alterations in the 19th century. It is still in use. An earlier foundation with the same dedication in the nearby village of Cheriton is now marked only by an earthwork platform (MDE1243). [1] The 12th Century font (presumably removed from Cheriton Church) forms a link between the scalloped fonts and the square, plain fonts. Probably mid to late 12th Century. It is made of a local North Devon grit stone, grey and fine-grained. It has a cylindrical shaft, a square base with a sloping chamfer on an octagonal plinth. On the sides of the bowl is a flat arrangement of curves at the centre of each side. [2] Parish church of St. Brendon. Nave, chancel and south porch of 1738, tower rebuilt 1828; the whole restored and north aisle, north transept and vestry added in 1873. Dressed and roughly dressed stone with some brick dressings to vestry, the 19th Century work snecked, with ashlar dressings. Slate roof, graded over porch and nave. The font is 12th Century on an octagonal step, with chamfered square base, circular stem and scalloped square bowl. It has a 19th Century ironbound wooden cover. [3] A slate sundial at the church is dated 1707. It was probably relocated from another site. [4] Parish church of St Brendon, a 6th Century Irish saint. Almost totally rebuilt in 1873 when north aisle and north transept added. Norman font. 18th Century. [5] Said to be rebuilt in 1728 from materials brought over from Cheriton. The tower was rebuilt or renovated in 1828 and superficially of Devon type but with post-Gothic details. The font is square and Norman with curved lines towards the bottom of the bowl, a diagrammatical interpretation of the scallops of such fonts as Ilfracombe. There also is a small circular 12th Century stoup(?) and a sundial dated 1707. [6] The building was visited in September 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. It received a BAR score of 6. [8] A two light stained glass window featuring St Alban and St Martin is dedicated to Lieutenant Alfred Schuster, 4th (Queens Own) Hussars, who was killed in action near Ypres on 20th November 1914. [9] The church is depicted and labelled "St Brendan's Church" on 2021 MasterMap data. [10] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [11] The church was assessed as part of the 2018-19 rapid condition survey of Exmoor’s Listed Buildings. It received a BAR score of 5. [12]