St Matthew

chancel but most of fabric is C15

Probably late C15 west tower of 2 stages with diagonal buttresses embattled parapet and drip courses carried round the buttresses.

On the west side of the tower is C15 granite 2-centred arched doorway with wave-moulded surround and cushion stops.

The west gable end of the south aisle has plain C19 bargeboards and includes a late C15-early C16 tall square-headed granite window.

The windows are all late C15 granite, 3-lights, arch-headed with Perpendicular tracery and moulded hoods but all are different in size.

The east gable end has shaped kneelers, coping and is surmounted by a plain Latin cross, and contains a large Bathstone 3-light window with Perpendicular style tracery and a moulded hood with the labels carved as a bishop and kings heads.

It is roughcast and contains a late C15-early C16 granite square-headed 3-light window with elliptical heads, sunken spandrels and moulded hood.

The left end, the Evans Chapel, is roughcast and contains a C19 replacement volcanic stone square-headed 3-light window with 2-centred arch- headed lights, sunken spandrels and moulded hood, and to right is a Tudor arch headed granite priest's door.

The north aisle does not extend to the west end of nave and therefore a section of the north wall of the nave is exposed and it is late C12-early C13 fabric containing a large blocked pointed arch of sandstone.

A slate memorial to John Ridd, curate is fixed to the west wall.

The south doorway is a late C15-early C16 granite 4-centred arch with moulded surround and ramshed stops.

It has been mended and backed with pine boards in the C19 but is mostly C15 carpentry.

It is a similar open barrel-vaulted roof of common rafter trusses and again appears mostly C15 work.

Both aisles have late C15-early C16 ceiled wagon roofs.

Only a few of the moulded oak ribs and purlins have been replaced and most of the carved oak trusses survive

they are square and carved with a variety of motifs such as sacred monograms, the Tudor rose and heraldic and fabulous creatures.

The north aisle has a 6-bay roof with ovolo-moulded ribs and purlins, simple square bosses carved with geometric designs and plain wall plate

C15 tall and plain tower arch and inside of tower inaccessible at the time of survey.

The blocked late C12-early C13 arch in the nave is now a recess with simple soffit-chamfered imposts.

It is presumably Norman.

The abaci in the chancel also include some carved enrichment whilst that on the cap of the east end respond bears the legend 'orate pro anima Jones Evans'.

The oldest near the west end may be C13 and has a bas relief cross bottonee.

Another near the Barton Chapel is probably C17 but the surname and date have worn away.

Both are accompanied by panels of reset C16 or C17 green-glazed relief-decorated tiles.

The north aisle and chancel have patterns of different-coloured C19 tile and include some more relief-decorated tiles.

In the chancel there is also the odd C19 encaustic tile.

Very good and little restored late C15-early C16 oak rood screen across chancel and both aisles.

The middle rail and window reveals have carved scrolled wreathworks and each post is moulded with clustered shafts and plain caps similar to those on the arcade.

The ribbed coving above is filled with good quality Gothic tracery and there is a frieze of 3 bands of delicate and densely carved foliage.

On the reverse of the coving in the Barton Chapel one carving does not keep to the pattern and represents the upside down head of a Tudor lady with an enormous tongue! At the left end is the blocked granite 3-centred archway to the rood stairs.

On the north side of the vestry the larger arcade arch to the Evans Chapel contains a reset late C15-early C16 oak parclose screen.

imber buttresses carved with crocketted finials.

The headbeam is carved with a single cornice of fruiting vine.

There are 2 pinnacles with crocketted finials and between there are the fragmentary remains of delicate openwork crestwork apparently carved in the same style as the sub-tracery.

The other northern arcade bay has plain early oak-framed wainscotting and the southern arcade bay has probably late C17-early C18 pine scratch-moulded panelled wainscotting.

There is the carved Beerstone recumbent effigy of Sir John in chain mail with a surcoat.

A somewhat defaced angel by his head holds a shield which bears the legend 'John Evas' (sic).

The pulpit is a carefully renovated late C15-early C16 oak pulpit.

The octagonal drum has shafts carved bayleaf frames and nodding ogee canopies with delicately carved openwork tracery above.

The niches below were intended for figures of saints.

The cornice is of similarly carved vine leaves.

The oak lectern is late C19-early C20 but front includes a panel of oak carved in the same style as the pulpit and screen.

The aisles and Barton Chapel however contain late C15

early C16 benches.

The bench frontal, possibly from a prayer desk, has a linenfold front and the desk top was inscribed or recut in C19 in Latin in memory of John Evans The south aisle bench ends have moulded frames and are carved with geometric patterns.

The Barton Chapel includes a C17 oak table with heavy turned legs.

Right of the south door is a C17 oak hutch with a chip-carved front of fleur-de-lys and geometric flower motifs.

The granite font is late C12-early C13 on a late C19 stone base.

The pyramidal oak cover is probably C17.

There are no mural monuments except for a brass plaque on the south aisle wall recording the erection of the clock as a First World War memorial.

Some early glass.

The east window of the Evans Chapel includes a C16 stained glass figure representing Edward VI holding a book and sceptre beneath a crown from which flows ermine.

There are some other contemporary stained glass fragments in the south aisle.

The north aisle window tracery includes some green glass and the east window of the Barton Chapel has some blue-tinted bottle glass in the top lights.