Holy Trinity, Burrington, Devon
floor plan

Copyright © Dave Tylcoat 1996-2002

1. Porch & Door

The porch is 16^th century, the door arch is much older. Originally there was a statue where the electric light now is. The floor was cobbled until 1869. The door is of very heavy medieval oak with Tudor decoration. Shot, which can be seen in the door, is said to be the result of Cromwell's muskets. There is a Green Man above the door but it is usually in shade.  It is also obscured by chicken wire (presumably put there to stop swallows nesting) - which, incidentally, has been so inexpertly done that two nails have amazingly been hammered into the actual carving!  Outside, not far from the door, is a gargoyle water spout - originally on the South East corner of the roof (see picture at the bottom of this page)  -  this is 'leafy' - another example of a Green Man.

2. Pillars

Solid Dartmoor granite, brought here 500 years ago by horse teams.

3. Font

Norman, square, retooled. Used for 32 generations, now strengthened by a steel band. The bowl has a scalloped under-edge with four scallops to each side.

4. War Memorials

Matching memorials to the young men of the village who gave their lives in the two world wars.

5. Screen

One of the finest in England and one of the last before the Reformation. Note the pomegranates, which are the symbol of the kings of Granada, who came over with Catherine of Aragon. Each of the nine ribs and eight arches is slightly different.

Above - A Green Man, one of two carved upside down on the bottom of the right hand door of the right hand pair of doors through the screen (I have rotated the picture so you can see the face).
Below - close-up with different lighting.

An 'impossible triangle' carving on the screen.  This must be a late addition as the triangle (also known as a Penrose Triangle) was first published in 1958 by Lionel Penrose, a British geneticist and his son Roger, a mathematician and physicist.

6. Altar Rails

Fine Jacobean with alternate spindle pattern (barley-sugar & straight), restored in 1930.

7. Altars

The one before the screen is the original while the highly carved one at the East end was brought from Burrington Mission Church a few years ago.

8. Organ

Cost £112 when bought new in 1898, installation then cost £18. Recent work on the same instrument has cost over £3000.

9. Piscina

Medieval, in good condition, just to the right of the organ.

10. Aisles

Continuous between the chancel and nave (no chancel arch).

11. North Aisle Ceiling

40 squares with Tudor bosses. Note (a) the monkey, (b) the angel with perpendicular head-dress, (c) person with three heads (the Trinity).

12. South Aisle Ceiling

Held up by 38 carved angels. It is an oak wagon roof of the 15^th century and is divided into 180 squares.

A classic Green Man - leaves sprouting from his mouth, high up on the West wall.
(this is the best lighting we could manage with a torch!)
Best viewed through binoculars.

13. Tower

Three stage embattled, with part-buttresses and missing pinnacles. Polygonal stair turret on South West corner. The base is 13th century with walls five feet thick. The middle section is 14th century and the top section is 15th century perpendicular. It contains 6 bells, cast in 1783, rehung in 1970. The ringers are one of the most skilled teams in the country. The clock was made by John Gaydon, Barnstaple, 1897. The clock requires about 138 rotations of a huge handle once a week, the chime about 38 rotations - all done by the intrepid Steve Hook after negotiating the narrow stone spiral stairs every Saturday morning!

The clock

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  Pictures © Dave Tylcoat 1999-2002