Hollacombe

from

Some Old Devon Churches

By J. Stabb

London: Simpkin et al (1908-16)

Page 123

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.

HOLLACOMBE. St. Petrock. The church [plate 123a] consists of chancel, nave, south porch, and west tower with three bells.

The two principal features of interest in this church are the saddle-back tower [plate 123b], in which style there are only two or three instances in Devonshire, and the Sanctus bell turret over the chancel, which is also rarely found. There are the remains of a piscina in the chancel, and close to the chancel is preserved an old font with an octagonal bowl with circular basin roughly carved out, it stands on a modern shaft. There is another font to the west of the south door with a square bowl resting on clustered pillars and a modern plinth. The east window is filled with stained glass representing the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi, and is memory of D. L. Meyrick, Rector of Holsworthy, who died May 13th 1819, aged 80. The reading desk has some old baluster rails in front, and there are some inserted in the belfry screen.

The registers date: baptisms, 1638; marriages, 1640; burials, 1638.