Gidleigh

from

Some Old Devon Churches

By J. Stabb

London: Simpkin et al (1908-16)

Page 108

Transcribed and edited by Dr Roger Peters

Full text available at

https://www.wissensdrang.com/dstabb.htm

Prepared by Michael Steer

Between 1908 and 1916, John Stabb, an ecclesiologist and photographer who lived in Torquay, published three volumes of Some Old Devon Churches and one of Devon Church Antiquities. A projected second volume of the latter, regarded by Stabb himself as a complement to the former, did not materialize because of his untimely death on August 2nd 1917, aged 52. Collectively, Stabb's four volumes present descriptions of 261 Devon churches and their antiquities.

GIDLEIGH. Holy Trinity. The church consists of chancel, nave, south aisle, divided from the nave by three arches, resting on octagonal pillars with plain capitals, and west tower with four bells.

There is a good Perpendicular rood screen [plate 108] consisting of five bays, the doors remaining; the groining is gone, and the spandrel spaces have been covered with some of the old carving. The cornice is composed of two rows of fruit and leaf carving, and is without cresting; on the lower panels are paintings of saints, some old, but the greater number are coloured pictures pasted on the panels and varnished. The rood staircase remains; the space between the entrance and exit doors is exceptionally low.

This might well be called the "granite" church, as reredos, pulpit, font, and reading desk are all made of granite. There is some ancient glass in the window of the aisle, two half figures; the one on the left side representing the Blessed Virgin, with the face missing. Outside the church, against the north wall, are a row of gravestones, probably removed from the floor of the church. The building was restored in 1841.

The first vicar was Michael de Leghe, September 20th 1259.

The registers date: baptisms, 1613; marriages, 1599; burials, 1599.