St Hieritha

Slate roofs with crested ridge tiles, coped parapets with apex crosses.

The C15/early C16 church consists of nave, north and south aisles and transepts, chancel, south porch and west tower.

Gargoyles at the angles.

Perpendicular style fenestration, 4 lights at west end, 3 lights to each side of, and straight headed 3-light window over south porch, which has embattled parapet, diagonal buttresses and niche above pointed arched doorway with demi-angel corbels to the hoodmould.

Fine trabarted ceiling with blind quatrefoil tracery to each panel, richly carved bosses at the intersections and deep moulded timber cornice.

Inner doorway with similar moulding on smaller scale, human head corbels to the hoodmould, and carved base for statue above.

Nave, chancel and aisles have concealed waggon roofs, those to nave and chancel apparently C19, those to aisles late C15 with moulded ribs and carved bosses at the intersections.

Chancel roof has carved angel figures to the base of each rib.

Early C16 transetal roofs are trebeated with heavily moulded intersecting beams and large carved bosses at the intersections.

Double C19 sedilia and patterned floor tiles.

Nave: Slender stone pulpit with figures of saints, under ogee canoies in narrow panels with leaf frames.

Nave floor has many exposed slab memorials.

C19 font with lead lined bowl on C15 base.

Glass: full complement of C19 glass survive to aisles and south transept with trailing texts.

Stained glass to east end window to William Barry d. 1871.

Monuments: Chancel north side.

2 wall monuments above to Rev. Thomas Colley d. 1762, with broken pediments and central achievement and John Bear d. 1656, nowy arched with achievement and 3 roundels with inscriptions to his children.

Chancel south side C17 tablet Rev. Hugh Harris.

Giffard Chapel with semi-reclining figure of Grace Giffard d. 1667 a fragment of larger monument and large standing wall monument to Joh Giffard of Brightley

The semi-reclining effigy of Grace Giffard (†1667).

© Mike Searle

recumbent figure with 2 kneeling figures against the tomb-chest.

West wall: 2 C19 marble wall monuments to Collingwood and Giffard family.

South transept: (Rolle Chapel) Large C18 standing marble wall monuments with taering obelisk above reclining cherub in high relief with achuevement above and torches to each side.

Inscription to members of Rolle family 'Whose lives have left to posterity a more expressive Menorial than can be perpetuated on the most Durable Marble' East wall: Tablet to Edward Yeo of North Petherwin d. 1636.

North aisle, north side to Joachim Rolle d. 1638, south side marble wall monument by T Gould to John Nickolls of Brightley, d. 1850.

St Hieritha Church is one of the larger North Devon Churches, is of interest for its few early building phases, being entirely C15/C16, and for its exceptionally fine west tower 'unquestionably the finest church tower in Devon' (Hoskins).

SS6325 : Chittlehampton, St. Hieritha's church: The early c16th, 114 feet high tower (detail)

© Michael Garlick