This Cache Brings You to The Lovely Village of Broadhempston and The Stunning Church of St Peter and St Paul
Parish Church. C13 chancel considerably rebuilt, main build C15. Main restorations 1876-7, 1896-8 by Sedding and 1903. Rendered rubble walls, tower and west end are roughcast. Gable ended slate roof to nave, aisles and porch, all have coping stones and kneelers. Chancel in Early English style probably considerably rebuilt in C19. Nave, aisles, west tower and porch are Perpendicular, tower possibly pre- dates nave. A shallow chamfered plinth runs around the aisles and porch but not the chancel or tower. The tower is in 2 stages, the second one much shorter, and is battlemented at the top. West doorway is of volcanic stone with 4-centred arch which has worn roll and hollow moulding and hoodmould above. Double relieving arch. West window is late C19/early C20 Perpendicular restoration with double relieving arch. Above is single light arched window on north west and south sides. On second stage are 2- light belfry openings with arched heads on each side of tower. In corner between tower and north aisle is stair projection with 2 very small square headed openings. North and south aisle windows had tracery replaced during 1896-8 restoration, otherwise original. Intermediate buttresses and buttress set back from east corners of each aisle. On the north aisle the buttress in between the 2 most westerly windows incorporates a so-called 'devils door' used during baptism, this has a projecting stone arched surround. Between the 2 most easterly windows is a shallow bulge for the rood stairs. The north and south chancel windows are late C19 replacements in Early English style, 2-light with plate tracery. The east window is probably contemporary and is 3-light with intersecting tracery. On the south aisle the second window from the left has carved head-stops to its hoodmould. The plain porch is at the west end of the south aisle with a simple stone arched doorway. Good Interior: The porch retains its original barrel ceiling with moulded ribs and carved bosses and wall-plates. South doorway has chamfered 4-centred granite arch with cushion stops. Stone seats either side are probably not original. Holy water stoup on north wall of porch. Nave has 5 bay arcade either side with Beer-stone Pevsner Type A piers which have been raised up on rough square stone bases, presumably because they were found to be not long enough. Carved foliage on capitals, each one is different, the left hand one, to the north aisle, also has the face of a man, reputedly the Green Man. The moulding on the piers is continued round the 4-centred arches. Very tall pointed voussoir stone tower arch on 2 rows with plain jambs. To its right is chamfered stone doorway with ogee head leading to tower staircase. Some way above this is small lancet window to stairs. Original chamfered rear arches to windows. No chancel arch. Sanctuary is narrower than the rest of the chancel and the nave. In the south wall of the chancel is piscina and a Sedilia in 3 sections, each with chamfered pointed arch stone surround. The barrel ceiling to the nave appears to be a complete restoration dating probably from 1896-8. The barrel ceilings to the aisles have also been restored but re-using most of the original moulded ribs, carved bosses and wall-plates which still retain some of their old colour. In 1880 the chancel was given a new roof but here also some of the old moulded timbers appear to have been re-used in the sanctuary. C15 rood screen, Pevsner Type B, extends across nave and both aisles with Perpendicular tracery above panels divided by cinquefoil headed lights with quatrefoils below. The original doors survive but the screen was heavily restored in 1903 when the cornice and coving were completely renewed. Rood stairs survive on north wall with original doorways. Circa late C15 parclose screen to north and south, both have Perpendicular tracery to lights, ogee headed doorways and battlements at the tracery to lights, ogee headed doorways and battlements at the top. Lining the walls of each aisle is C18 fielded panel wainscotting. C15 octagonal Beer stone font has carved panels with crossed key and sword decoration. Soffit is carved with cinquefoil headed panels and pedestal has round- headed panels carved on it. In 1877 a gallery at the west end was removed. The church was re-seated in 1876 by J Chudleigh. The pulpit dates from 1903. On the floor at the front of the north aisle are 2 slate ledger-stones dated 1642 and 1712. At the front of the south aisle is one dated 1647 and one of 1643. Further down the south aisle is a slate ledge-stone carved with skull and cross bones and dated 1703. On the chancel floor are several Cl7 and C18 ledge-stones. On the north wall of the chancel is an elaborate slate memorial to Robert Warreying and his wife Ellinor, each name is in a circle with clasped hands joining the 2. Dated 1654 and 1656 with a good rhyming epitaph beneath. The only fragment of old glass survives in the most westerly window of the south aisle which bears the armorial shield of John Rowe who died in 1544 and was Lord of the Manor of Sparkwell, Kingston and Staverton, which at that time included much of Broadhempston.
The Headline Coordinates will bring you to the Grave of
Lily Love Sole (Rosie)
1AB9 - 198C
Frank Sole
1897 - 198D
The Second Stage will bring you to another Grave
Florence Thornhill
Who Died
E4 December 19F8
Aged 9G Years
Checksum 41
All You Need To Do Now Is a Little Calculation To Give You The Final Coordinates
N 50° 29.(D+E-C)(B-G)(B-A) W 003° 41.(A/E)(F+E)(A-E)
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