Details
BUCKLAND BREWER
SS42SW
6/67 Church of St. Mary
20.2.58 and St. Benedict
(formerly listed as
Church of St. Mary
and St. Benedict and
Buckland Brewer
Church Room).
GV. II *
Anglican Parish church. C15; nave, south aisle and chancel
heavily restored by S. Hooper of Hatherleigh in 1878-80. Squared
and coursed slatestone, with ashlar to tower. Stone-coped and
gabled slate roofs. Chancel with north chapel, nave with south
aisle and porch; west tower. East end of south aisle is attached
to a late C19 passage with crenellated wall: this is attached to
a parish schoolroom, of C15 date and restored in 1880; this has a
Perpendicular-style east window of 1880 and a 2-bay south front
with a pointed-arched doorway of 1880 and two C15 two-light
cinquefoiled windows. The rest of the church has fenestration of
1878-80. Two-bay chancel and 2-bay north wall of nave has
Decorated-style windows. Four-bay south aisle has
Decorated-style windows, with string course continued above C16
chamfered pointed-arched priest's door. C15 gabled porch: C18
sundial above C15 doorway with shallow-arched moulded granite
architrave; inside porch is medieval stoup and image niche above
Norman doorway of c.1200. Doorway has round arch of 3 orders,
with beakhead and chevron ornament; imposts carved with
interlaced round arches, and volute capitals to engaged columns.
Three-stage C15 west tower has full-height offset angle
buttresses, and string courses: hood mould over plain granite
3-light C15 Perpendicular window with panel tracery above hood
mould over pointed-arched doorway set in square-headed
architrave; label moulds over round-arched light and cinquefoiled
image niche to south; 3-light shallow-arched and square-headed
belfry windows with crenellated louvres; crenellated parapet with
C19 crocketed pinnacles. Interior: 2 late C19 piscinae, one with
part of C14 cusped head. Late C19 panelled reredos. Late C19
boarded waggon roof to chancel and arch-braced roofs to nave and
south aisle. C14 two-bay arcade, of double-chamfered arches and
central octagonal pier with chamfered impost. Late C19 chancel
arch. C15 five-bay arcade, with pointed moulded arches set on
round piers with bell capitals. South-east door of south aisle
has moulded stone architrave carved with decoration of leaves,
branches and shields. Fittings: late C19 choir stalls, benches,
pulpit, lectern, and tower screen. Early C18 gadrooned and
urn-shaped pulpit. Monuments: south aisle has tablet to William
Radford Caddy, midshipman d. 1823, and John Caddy, d. 1822. Nave
has monument to Edward Lee of Orleigh, d. 1819, by Richards of
Exeter with weeping woman and urn set on pyramid-shaped mount,
swag-shaped tablet to Peter Pasmore, d. 1808, and brass to the
bellfounder John William Taylor, d. 1906. North chapel has group
of fine monuments: memorial to Anthony Dennis, d. 1643, has 3
heraldic cartouches and nowy-headed pediment above kneeling
figures flanked by Ionic columns, and informal group of children
below. Monument to Philip Venning, d. 1658 at age of six, of
coloured marble with black slate inscriptions: obelisk set in
broken scrolled pediment above keyed roundel which frames
demi-figure. Fine Baroque monument to John and Mary Davie (d.
1710 and 1709): angels and flaming urns surmount nowy-headed
pediment with heraldic achievement above architectural frame with
Corinthian columns and standing angels; inscription surrounded by
foliage, cherubs heads and skulls heads; acanthus-leaf brackets
flank consoles and lower inscription set in cartouche.
(Buildings of England: North Devon, pp 63-4; National Monuments
Record; plans of church showing details of proposed restoration
by S. Hooper, 1878, and account of restoration by vicar (1891) in
Devon County Record Office, under Faculty Petitions, Nos 7-16,
18-24 for Abbotsham parish).
Listing NGR: SS4189020915
