Kings Nympton Contents & Search

Between 1908 and 1916, John Stabb, an ecclesiologist and photographer who lived in Torquay, published three volumes of Some Old Devon Churches and one of Devon Church Antiquities. A projected second volume of the latter, regarded by Stabb himself as a complement to the former, did not materialize because of his untimely death on August 2nd 1917, aged 52. Collectively, Stabb's four volumes present descriptions of 261 Devon churches and their antiquities.

KINGS NYMPTON. St. James. The church is Perpendicular in style and consists of chancel, nave, south aisle, south porch, and west tower with spire containing five bells.

The rood screen to chancel and aisle is very fine and in a good state of preservation [plate 141a]; there are seven bays and two pairs of gates. The carving between the ribs of the groining is very good and consists of embossed enrichments instead of the usual sunk tracery [plate 141b]. The groining and cornices are very similar to those at Hartland. The ceiling over the chancel is richly coloured and gilt. There was formerly a window of stained glass in the church with effigies of Sir Lewis Pollard, Knt., Agnes his wife and 22 children. There is some very valuable communion plate belonging to the church, but I believe most of it is on loan at the South Kensington Museum [London].

The registers date: baptisms, 1538; marriages, 1539; burials, 1538.

Return to top

Last updated: 9 Jul 2007 - Brian Randell