Clyst Honiton
Devon
C12 font, the basic fabric appears to be C15 or earlier and some C15 detail remains in north aisle but the whole church was thoroughly restored with a new south chapel and south porch in 1875.
Built of local, mostly mudstone, rubble walling, medieval fabric has red conglomerate ashlar quoins and plinth and C19 extensions have rusticated volcanic ashlar quoins and Hamstone plinth
medieval Beerstone or volcanic ashlar detail and C19 Hamstone ashlar detail
slate roofs with some crested ridge tiles.
The nave, chancel and west tower appear to be C15 or earlier but were much rebuilt and nearly all the detail was replaced in 1875.
The north aisle however retains some C15 detail.
A flat-arched doorway on the west side has a moulded surround with C17- style stops and contains C19 double plank doors with studded coverstrips and ornate strap hinges and ferramenta.
Like most of the C19 windows it has a moulded hood with projecting square labels, apparently intended for carving in situ but was never executed.
A relieving arch above follows a 2-centred arch, probably for the earlier C15 west doorway.
On the south side of the tower is a small 2-light Perpendicular-style window in the lower stage and a C15 volcanic stone trefoil-headed lancet with hoodmould to the ringing loft.
The north aisle is C15 with C19 coping and apex crosses.
The south doorway may be C15
Tall C15 tower arch with round- headed double arch ring which dies into the responds although an impost shows inside the tower on the north side.
Inside the tower the ringing floor is C19 but the stair doorway is original C15
C15 Beerstone arcade to the north aisle.
The floor is made up of patterns of polychrome tiles and flagstones.
The chancel has a Beerstone reredos carved in Gothic style, and comprising a central 3-bay blind arcade with cusped ogee arches, crockets and finials, and in which the centre panel is plain as a background for the altar cross and flanked by painted portraits of St Gabriel and St Michael and flanked again by painted commandment boards.
The oak altar is Victorian but appears to incorporate C17 heavy turned balusters, possibly from the former altar rails.
The present altar rail is oak on oak standards, Victorian Gothic stalls, low chancel screen, pulpit and tower screen.
Victorian eagle lectern and plain pine benches.
Contemporary brass chandelier in chancel.
Monuments: the oldest and finest monuments have been reset together in the north aisle.
Good Beerstone table tomb in memory of John Elquier The niche has a low segmental arch over with a broad ovolo-moulded surround enriched with egg and dart and with carved foliate spandrels, crenelated head, flanking fluted Ionic pilasters surmounted by flaming vases and the shelf supported on shaped consoles.
The inside of the niche has facetted panels and in the centre of the back is a carved heraldic achievement.
The shelf is inscribed 'Here lieth John Paul Elquier who ended this liffe the third of Maye 1575' to which has been added 'and his wiffe Jenfr' (sic).
Above this is a good but undated C17 marble plaque in memory of Edward Yarde with a rhyming elegy: it is set in an architectural frame with flanking pilasters enriched with carved symbols such as a skull, book, scythe, hourglass, etc., with ribbons and flanked by cherubs on their sides as wings, an open pediment above containing an heraldic achievement and flanked by skulls with wings and hourglasses, and below the shelf heraldic achievements flank a bas relief carving of a shrouded corpse and the apron below contains a cherub.
Immediately to left of these a carved slate plaque in memory of John Short with a frame of stylised interlaced foliage which contains the same heraldic achievement four times.
The rest of the monuments are C19.
The north aisle has the white marble memorial to Harriet Collyns , with a Gothic-style frame
a Gothic-style brass plaque in memory of Frederick le Mesurier and family
a marble plaque in memory of Hugh Vaughan in the north aisle and in the south chapel an heraldic achievement and 2 carved putti.
Victorian stained glass in the chancel and early C20 stained glass in nave and tower.
Although much of the basic fabric appears to be medieval the church is essentially the result of a thorough and consistent restoration of 1875, an attractive and coherent scheme.
Only the font, the aisle arcade and one of the north aisle windows are pre-1875 detail.