St Andrew's Church, South Huish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Andrew's Church, South Huish |
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The ruins of St Andrew's Church, South Huish,
from the southeast |
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| OS grid reference | SX 695 411 |
| Location | South Huish, South Hams, Devon |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Friends of Friendless Churches |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Andrew |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Ruin |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 26 January 1967 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 13th century |
| Completed | 15th century |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Slatestone |
St Andrew's Church is a very old church in South Huish, Devon, England. It is now a ruin, meaning it's mostly fallen apart, but its remains are still important. This church is listed as a Grade II* building, which means it's a very special historic place. The Friends of Friendless Churches, a charity, helps look after it.
Contents
The Church's Early History
Building the Church: From the 1200s to the 1500s
The main parts of the church, called the nave (where people sit) and the chancel (near the altar), were first built in the 1200s. Later, in the early 1400s, a tall tower was added to the west side. A north transept, which is like an arm of the church, might have been built around this time too.
Towards the end of the 1400s or early 1500s, some small changes were made. For example, the south door was updated, and a new window was put in the chancel.
Big Changes in the 1500s
Soon after these small changes, a lot of work was done on the south side of the church. Between about 1520 and 1540, a porch was added, along with a south aisle. An aisle is a passage that runs along the side of the main part of the church.
Inside, a beautiful wooden screen, called a rood screen, was put in. This screen separated the nave from the chancel. Another screen, called a parclose screen, was also added. A special opening, called a hagioscope or squint, was cut into the north wall. This allowed people in the north transept to see the church service happening in the chancel.
Church Bells and Moving Away
In 1553, records show that St Andrew's Church had four bells. Some of these bells were probably there since the 1400s when the tower was built. By the early 1800s, the church had six bells.
However, by 1866, the church building was in bad shape. Many people had moved from South Huish to a nearby village called Galmpton. Because of this, the old church was too damaged to fix. A new church was built in Galmpton to replace it.
When the new church was ready, the bells and the font (a basin used for baptisms) were moved there. St Andrew's Church was then left empty. Other important items, like parts of two old alabaster carvings that showed scenes from the life of Christ, were also moved to Galmpton. A stone basin for holy water, called a stoup, was moved to Salcombe parish church. The rest of the church's old fittings were sold.
What the Church Looks Like Now
The Ruined Structure
St Andrew's Church is built from slate stone. Today, it doesn't have a roof, but most of its walls are still standing, except for the walls of the transept.
You can still see a doorway on the west side that is now blocked up. Above it, there's a damaged window in the Perpendicular style, which was popular in England a long time ago. There's also a south porch with a rounded top. This porch was built in the early to mid-1500s and has stone benches along its sides.
On the north wall of the nave, you can see the frame of a lancet window, which is a tall, narrow window. There are two similar window frames in the chancel.
Inside the Church Today
Most of the old features inside the church are gone. However, in 2005, a study was done by an archaeologist named Robert Waterhouse. He found three special brackets that used to hold statues or images. These were found in the porch, the nave, and the lady chapel (a part of the church often dedicated to the Virgin Mary).
Recent History and Preservation
Saving the Ruins
In 1976, the ruins of St Andrew's Church were given to the charity called the Friends of Friendless Churches. This charity now has a very long lease, for 999 years, starting from January 1, 1976.
Soon after the charity took over, the top 8 feet (about 2.4 meters) of the church tower were removed to make it safer. In 1988, one of the granite windows was put back together using stones that had fallen from the building.
The charity has been working to slow down how quickly the remaining parts of the church decay. Even though it's a ruin, a church service is still held at the site once a year.
