Revd. G.D. Melhuish - Notes on the History of Ashwater Parish and Church

Revd. Feild.

I now come to the extensive Restoration carried out by Mr Feild, Rector from 1864 to 1897, who did so much for the upkeep and adornment of the building.

I am putting into the Church Safe a fuller account of the work than I shall find room for here, but a short summary will be interesting. Mr. F. Preedy was the Architect and Mr J. Northcott, who himself carried out much of the work, has given me particulars.

The old Western Gallery was taken down. The N. Wall of the Nave was rebuilt but without interference with the Porch and N. Chapel. The Porch doorway was taken down and reset. The S.W. corner of the Aisle was rebuilt. The Chancel was newly roofed and lengthened about 3-ft. 6-ins; its walls were rebuilt and a narrow window placed on each side. The Arch between the Chancel and Lady Chapel was taken down and put up as before but the shaft of the granite half pillar was shortened some 6 or 8 inches and the Octagonal pillar rebuilt—a large granite stone now to be seen there was doubtless not in the old pillar. The Rood Staircase was discovered. The Font was moved from S. of the Belfry to its present position.

Much Oak Carving was added viz., The Chancel Roof, Pulpit, Parclose Screen, Rood Beam, five Benches and two Fronts. The Altar, Lectern, Sedilia Choir Seats (not the fronts) and (not least) new Wall-plates and Bosses where the old ones were decayed.

The Tiling, but not the oak carving, of the Reredos was put in at that time. Neither this Tiling nor the East window above it, which was put in by Thomas Melhuish, a former Rector, are beautiful, but I suppose it is easy for us to condemn the taste or knowledge of earlier days—just as the next generation will condemn ours.

Before Mr. Field’s Restoration, the Sacrarium had a raised wooden floor and there were mahogany Altar Rails, so placed that people could kneel North and South as well as West of the Altar.