Church of St Mary

Details

WALKHAMPTON SX 57 SW 13/118 Church of St. Mary 21.3.67 GV I

Parish church. Circa late C15 and C16 with addition of 1832. Walls are of granite rubble with granite ashlar to the lower and upper stages of the tower, and the south aisle. Gable ended slate roofs. Plan: nave,chancel, north and south aisles, west tower and south porch. It is possible that the nave and chancel are pre-C15 but there is no evidence of pre- Perpendicular work. The north aisle is the earlier dating from the Circa late C15 and the south porch and tower may be contemporary. The south aisle is considerably later and probably post-reformation. The vestry was added at the east end of the north aisle in 1832 in memory of William Alexander brother of the then curate and son of.D.A. Alexander, the architect of Dartmoor Prison. The Church was restored in 1860. Imposing 3-stage battlemented tower with very tall octagonal crocketted pinnacles. Diagonal buttresses. Large 2-light belfry openings with simple tracery. Richly moulded acute 4-centred arched west doorway with arched hoodmould built of Roborough stone. Large west window of 3-lights with Perpendicular tracery. Above the belfry opening on this side a gargoyle projects on a very long neck. Pentagonal stair turret on north-west corner of tower with small bulls-eye lights. The north aisle has 4 windows, all original of 3-lights with cinquefoiled heads - the central light slightly taller; alternating with buttresses. Small gabled vestry at the east end of the aisle re-uses a narrow 2-light window with curvilinear tracery, possibly from the chancel. The east window and east window on the south aisle (which is smaller) are both 3-light with Perpendicular tracery of Roborough stone and granite jambs. Beside the south aisle window is a wall memorial of 1802 to Peter Holmes and his 2 wives. The south aisle has 4 3-light very late Perpendicular windows with roundheaded lights. The aisle incorporates a corner buttress of the 1 storey south porch which pre-dates it and has a heavily moulded 4-centred arched doorway of Roborough stone with a quatrefoil in each spandrel and square hoodmould. Interior: The south doorway is granite heavily moulded with 4-centred arch. The Church had the plaster stripped off its internal walls in 1912 which unfortunately caused the destruction of some painted scripture and the removal of several C17 wall memorials, one of which, to Richard Attwell, is lying in the churchyard. The 2 arcades differ significantly:- that to the north aisle is of Roborough stone with Pevsner A-type piers, moulded cup capitals and bases, and double-chamfered depressed 4-centred arches. The south arcade is also 4 bays but starts to the east of the porch - which pre-dates it and continues across the chancel. It. is constructed of granite with similar arches but slightly different piers and capitals to the north arcade. Good tower arch moulded and rebated in moulded surround it rests on corbel heads representing a man and a woman. No chancel arch but vestiges of a springing suggest it once existed. At the east end of the north aisle is a low arched recess into which a cinquefoil-headed piscina has been inserted - possibly a vestige of an earlier building. The wagon roofs are all ceiled and probably C19 or C20. The font cover, pulpit, reredos. reading desk and choir stalls are of quite a good quality and were made by Rev. Charles Walker who died 1909. The stained glass is C20. Probably C15 octagonal font of Roborourgh stone with raised shields on panels of bowl. Despite a relatively plain interior this Church has not suffered greatly from restoration externally and has a very considerable landscape value occupying an elevated position which makes it prominent.on all sides from some distance. Its isolated position, away from the village and formerly with only the Church house in close proximity, is a matter for some conjecture but adds to its interest.

Listing NGR: SX5366570150

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

92850

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry