St Michael And All Angels

tower possibly C13 (q.v. Bickleigh): circa early C16 north aisle

C19 crested ridge tiles to nave and chancel.

The development of the church is not clear but it may have been a nave and chancel church with west tower in the C13, extended by a 4-bay aisle in the circa early C16.

The porch is also early C16 origin.

The interior of the porch has timber-topped benches and a circa early C16 2- bay arch braced roof with moulded purlins and a collar purlin, the southernmost truss is a C19 replacement.

The 4-bay arcade has been painted but is probably Beerstone with shallow-moulded Tudor arches, piers with corner shafts and good, varied carved capitals.

The aisle roof is probably early C16, a keeled unceiled waggon with the principal ribs moulded.

The chancel roof, possibly circa 1840, is of similar design but with a carved wallplate and carved bosses.

Stone credence table supported on a marble demi-angel.

The floor tiling includes memorials to members of the Coleridge family and is probably 1857

The altar, in situ in 1843 (Davidson), is made up of fine minutely-traceried panels, probably C16 and unlikely to be of English craftsmanship.

The choir has some interesting stalls made up of a mixture of medieval and C19 bench ends

1 bench end is especially interesting, shouldered with a crocketted head and carved with intersecting tracery very similar to the notable set at Atherington is North Devon.

Unusual C17 lectern originally from Ottery St Mary (Cresswell) with strapwork decoration and a turned stem.

SS9104 : St Michael, Cadbury, Devon - Lectern

© John Salmon

Stone drum pulpit, possibly circa 1840, decorated with blind arches.

Unusual, probably C12 volcanic trap font with a square bowl, scallopped underneath on a round stem with decoration on the plinth.

SS9104 : St Michael, Cadbury, Devon - Font

© John Salmon

The font cover, circa 1840, clearly not designed for the present font, has an ogival profile and is carved with blind tracery.

A number of interest monuments.

In the floor at the east end of the south aisle 3 ledger stones of the early C17 including a particularly fine one commemorating George Fursdon, died 1643, which includes armorial bearings in relief and a verse "Bee dumbe thou influence of officious verse/Fursdon esquier lyes veild within this herse/Twoold bee to rude an insolence to his shrine/too cloathe transcendent merit with a line"/.

Early C19 grey and white marble wall monument on the north wall of the chancel to George Fursdon, died 1837, signed E. Gaffin, Regent St. London.

Late C18 grey and white marble obelisk wall monument in the aisle to Charles Hale, died 1795, with a long inscription on a white marble sarcophagus.

Also in the aisle a white marble wall monument to Elizabeth Lyon, died 1789, signed Kendall, Exon : an obelisk with a draped urn.

Several other C19 wall monuments.

Important late C15 stained glass in the east window of the north aisle, moved from the east window.

A central figure of Christ showing his wounds was clearly originally part of a 7 sacraments design by the Doddiscombsleigh atelier of glass painters and is the largest single surviving figure from the workshop outside Exeter Cathedral.

Westernmost window in the south aisle by Clayton and Bell with a memorial date of 1877.

A chest in the vestry (curtained off at the west end of the aisle) is said to be 1606 (Cresswell) and retains some painted decoration.

A fine Church with notable glass and a good restoration by William White.