Berry Pomeroy
The church was built by Sir Richard de Pomeroy, who died in 1496. The magnificent rood screen is 46 feet long, with 10 bays and 3 doorways - all the doors have gone and just 24 of the original panels remain. The screen is complete from the north to south walls and it retains its original coving, cornice and cresting. Unfortunately, the dado figures have suffered. No complete list of the pictures is possible owing to the Protestant defacement during the Reformation, the Civil War and general neglect over the Georgian and Victorian years. The screen was restored in 1908. There is a rood stairway on the north side.
However, a complete set of the Apostles could have covered the central parts of the screen - although four of the figures may have disappeared with the central doors. Alternatively, four Apostles could be coupled with four Prophets (look at the head gear of the prophets and the hand gestures of both) in other parts of the screen. It is also possible that some of the female figures were painted as sibyls. Their head gear, dress and symbols might suggest this. Or, they may be representations of angels without wings, bearing local dress but holding phials with swete-smellinge thinges for the healing of wounds and other supports to the local community.
Only one of the 24 images has been spared facial disfigurement - image 02 (Mary Magdalene?). Is this because the model was part of the family who would have paid for the rood screen paintings before the subsequent
Reformation defacement?
It is sad to see the past despoilment and uncared-for of such a beautiful piece of local medieval art.
01: A king?, Unknown,
02: St Gudule?, St Mary Magdalene
03: Apostle?, Prophet?
04: Apostle?, Prophet?
05: St Philip, St James Minor
06: St Stephen, St Thomas
07: St James Major, St Andrew?
08: St Bartholomew, St Jude
09: Apostle?, Prophet?
10: Apostle?, Prophet?
11: Female saint?, Sibyl?
12: Sibyl?, Unknown
Screen