St Petrox

enlarged in 1641 (date plaque).

First recorded in 1192, St Petrox is the oldest of Dartmouth's three parish churches. It is located next to Dartmouth Castle, overlooking the mouth of the River Dart. The font is 12th century Norman. www.southhams.gov.uk

© Colin Smith

slate roof with crested ridge tiles.

Tower of 2 stages with low offset buttresses, stair tower projecting from south side to embattled parapet, arch-headed belfry windows and tiny lancets to the ringing floor, 4-light west window and blocked Tudor-arch doorway in the north side.

Main doorway in west end of north aisle, another Tudor-arch doorway under a very weathered plaque from which only the 41 of the 1641 date is legible.

all arch-headed mullioned-and-transomed 3-light without hoodmoulds, with Tudor arch-headed lights.

Tower floor is an attractive chequer pattern of red, black and cream tiles.

Rest of the church has a stone flag floor including good graveslabs and brasses at chancel end FITTINGS: C20 altar table and communion rail.

Good C17 oak pulpit - octagonal with panelled sides and dated 1641.

West end of south aisle screened off by a partition made up from pieces of C17 panelling, enriched with guilloche, strapwork, cherubs, leafy scrolls, etc: these fragments are probably from the C17 gallery as are the panelled sections of the gallery frontal with similar ornament set in the tower and now used to commemorate those parishioners who died in both World Wars.

Good Norman red sandstone font - circular stem and bowl with frieze of palmette decoration.

Painted arms of Charles II from 1660 on south wall.

the largest dated 1677, others from 1823 and 1841.

MEMORIALS: two C18 funeral hatchments of the Holdsworth family.

Floor includes good collection of mostly C17 and C18 ledger stones, many of them for members of the Newman and Holdsworth families.

A row of 3 good brasses to right of the altar - best one in memory of John Roope , others to Dorothy Rous and Barbara Plumleigh Best, if somewhat worn, mural monument is reset at east end of south aisle, to Edward Roope - oval plaque with bayleaf frame, pulvinated frieze on Corinthian columns over carved console brackets.

Each aisle has a similar small, delicately carved and pedimented plaque, one to Nicholas Roope , the other to Margaret Plumleigh GLASS: All late C19 and early C20 dates, but probably including earlier glass.

Mostly plain patterns of leaded glass with coats of arms but stained glass from 1927 in east window.

Scheduled Ancient Monument. (Russell, Percy: The Story of St Petrox Church - church guide).