Blackawton Devon
Church of St Michael, Blackawton Devon built of local shale rubble with granite and red sandstone dressings
The earliest origins surviving of the present building dedicated in 1333 by Bishop Grandisson. are the 14c chancel , possibly the tower and the 14c south doorway which might be in situ.  
The nave and aisles were rebuilt in late 15c / early 16c with the George ale house nearby accommodating the workers.   <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/737351Ke5v">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/737351Ke5v</a>

It now consists of a nave, narrower chancel,  6-bay north aisle and 4-bay south aisle with a porch in the angle at the west end, west tower containing six bells, five of which were recast in 1782,  and a 19c  vestry at the east end of the north aisle.

In 1766 the church was reseated.

The church was restored in 1887 when the roofs were repaired, it was also refloored and reseated at a cost of £700 
The chancel was restored in 1893 with the chancel being reroofed, and a new vestry and south porch added.
In 1898 most of the windows were renewed.

The interior walls are plastered and limewashed. The floors are paved in slate. The nave and aisles have late 15c / early 16c wagon roofs with moulded ribs with the plaster panels having been removed. 

The late 15c / early 16c carved capitals on the aisle arcades - one  on the north side has the arms of Torre Abbey which owned large estates in the parish, .and another on the south side, the  arms of the see of Exeter;    There is also a carved Green Man &amp; the symbols of St Peter (keys) &amp; St Paul (sword)  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/VU1g7cn9E5">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/VU1g7cn9E5</a>

14c Triple sedilia and integral double piscina survives on the chancel south wall  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/qW0M9q101g">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/qW0M9q101g</a>   The floor of the chancel must have been considerably raised; if the seats were used now, they would be uncomfortably low.

The Rood screen now divides the chancel &amp; south chapel from the nave &amp; south aisle. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/vL3ACcX7K3">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/vL3ACcX7K3</a>  . Some of the original blue and red colour survives ;  Two panels have initials &quot;K&quot; and &quot;HVIII&quot; for Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII.   <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/Ed27F69Gi6">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/Ed27F69Gi6</a>   On the canopy are carvings of Katherine's personal emblem, the pomegranate.  <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2jTQgxr" rel="noreferrer nofollow">flic.kr/p/2jTQgxr</a>    It is said to have originated in Greyfriars' church on Plymouth quay, where Katherine landed before her marriage to Henry.   Greyfriars and Blackawton were both 'satellites' of Plympton Priory, and the Prior, it is said, had the screen moved to safety when the Dissolution of the Monasteries was about to be implemented

Octagonal carved wood pulpit with blank arcaded panels strapwork frieze and guilloche band appears to be Jacobean but Cresswell states that it is 16c and originally it was set on the roof loft. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/k7FnKCS947">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/k7FnKCS947</a>
The red sandstone Norman font is topped with a 17c cover.  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/G22431142Y">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/G22431142Y</a>
Royal Arms of Charles II in south aisle dated 1680 with flanking texts.  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/3M66NFxB37">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/3M66NFxB37</a>

The late 19c organ by Sims of Ryde (I.O.W.) was placed in 
1900 

Under the carpet is the gravestone with brass figures of Nicholas Ford 1582 / 3 and wife Margaret Fountain 1588  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/gb66Lv2PX1">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/gb66Lv2PX1</a>

In south aisle is a tomb chest to Richard Sparke <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2jTUJbs" rel="noreferrer nofollow">flic.kr/p/2jTUJbs</a> &quot;Master of Arts, Minister of the Gospel, who was buried ye fourth day of April Ano Dom 1700&quot;
with strict instructions for its upkeep : <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2jTUJNE" rel="noreferrer nofollow">flic.kr/p/2jTUJNE</a> 
&quot;All you that here God's word declare
 Pray keep my Tomb in good Repair
 And you that my bread doe eat
 See that is stands both clean and neat
 For whiles my Tomb here safely stands
 In peace you shall enjoy my lands
 But if you let it decay
 My Alms from you shall pass away
 Henceforth let no man move these bones
 That buried lie under these stones.&quot;

There are also Cholwiche family memorials;
&quot;Here lyeth ye body of Agnes wife of Richard Cholwich (1645) of this Parish gent. who departed this life 1st day of July 1646.
Cease friend to weep she's but asleep not dead
 Changed from husband's to her mother's bed
 Or from his bosom in to Abram's rather
 Where now she rests blest soule in such a father.&quot;

The registers date from 1538.

On the November the 4th 1943 Devon County Council were informed by the War Office that Slapton Sands and the adjourning 30, 000 acres were to be evacuated. The area had been designated a battle excise area for the US army in preparation for the D-DAY landings.   The screen was dismantled and together with anything of value was taken to  safe storage <a href="https://shop.memorylane.co.uk/mirror/1200to1299-01222/rood-screen-blackawton-church-prepared-21834062.html" rel="noreferrer nofollow">shop.memorylane.co.uk/mirror/1200to1299-01222/rood-screen...</a>
<a href="https://www.google.co.uk/local/place/fid/0x486d1eee72f47d33:0x61ea7931efddda9d/photosphere?iu=https://streetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com/v1/thumbnail?panoid=Wbl6RIujU5QkY6V3UUoDXA&amp;cb_client=lu.gallery.gps&amp;w=160&amp;h=106&amp;yaw=236.76392&amp;pitch=0&amp;thumbfov=100&amp;ik=CAISFldibDZSSXVqVTVRa1k2VjNVVW9EWEE=" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.google.co.uk/local/place/fid/0x486d1eee72f47d33:0x61e...</a>
It would appear that when the screen was re-erected after the war, the parclose between the chancel &amp; south chapel <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/5X4s33pF8q">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/5X4s33pF8q</a> was re-sited between the south chapel &amp; south aisle.    <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/99H415m6xQ">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/99H415m6xQ</a>

Picture with thanks - copyright Derek Harper CCL <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/7273389" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.geograph.org.uk/photo/7273389</a>
blackawton church devon