Swimbridge / Swymbridge Devon
Church of St. James, Swimbridge / Swymbridge Devon built on ‘holy ground where the saints of old worshipped untold centuries ago’., appears in the book England's Thousand Best Churches by Simon Jenkins and in Dr Todd Gray's Devon's Fifty Best Churches.
The west tower , probably 13c , has an added c1310 short patterned lead broach spire similar to those at Barnstaple and Braunton, (releaded 1892 by J Smyth), its medieval roof structure remaining intact.  
The remainder - nave, north and south aisles, chancel, north and south chancel chapels, vestry with priests chamber above to the north side all.rebuilt in 15c &amp; 16c .  
There is a large clock face on west side of the tower, and a sundial dated 1755 towards west end of south side. <a href="https://flic.kr/p/a2AuCM" rel="noreferrer nofollow">flic.kr/p/a2AuCM</a>   There are six bells:   Previously for several centuries there were four until 1753 when these were melted down and re-cast as five.   A sixth was added in 1882.

All restored by J. L. Pearson in 1879-82.   

The rood screen described by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as ‘glorious’., dates from 1420, and is one of the finest in the county, extending right across the church. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/DC9c9w16EL">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/DC9c9w16EL</a>
The carving is magnificent; the design, while possessing distinctive features of its own, in some respects resembles the screens at Lapford and Hartland.   It was restored c 1887 again by Pearson, when the paint was scraped off, the woodwork renewed and new carving, the work of Barnstaple men, inserted. 
The nave roof to the west of the rood loft has diagonal ribs and cresting, and is painted blue with gilt stars. There are some curious bosses in the roof above the organ; <a href="https://flic.kr/p/a2AsA8" rel="noreferrer nofollow">flic.kr/p/a2AsA8</a> among them is St. Dunstan holding the Devil by the nose with a pair of pincers. 
There is a hagioscope between the north aisle chapel and the chancel.

The registers date: baptisms, 1563; marriages, 1563; burials, 1562.

Picture with thanks - copyright Roger Cornfoot CCL <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6248364" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6248364</a>
swimbridge devon church