Church of St Mary

Details

SS 72 NW MARIANSLEIGH

5/87 Church of St Mary

20.2.67

GV II*

Parish Church. C13 or earlier in origin, remodelled in the C15 when the north aisle was added, chancel restoration or rebuilding of 1711 (datestone). In 1932 the church was severely damaged by fire and much of the fabric and most of the fittings were destroyed. Pre 1932 fabric in the west tower (possibly C13), the C15 north arcade and south porch and some remnants of a circa C13 south aisle which were revealed by the fire damage. Slatestone rubble, the tower rendered; slate roof. Plan: West tower, nave, chancel, 4-bay north aisle, south porch. Evidence of 2 arches of a former south aisle discovered in 1932 suggest that the original fabric was at least C13 or possibly earlier, with a south aisle added in the C13. The very plain small tower is extremely difficult to date but could also be early. The south aisle was removed at an unknown date leaving the westernmost piers blocked in the fabric of the nave wall. The 4-bay north aisle is Perpendicular, probably C15. The south porch indicates that the south aisle had disappeared by or was removed at that date. The reconstruction of the church after 1932 was conservative with Perpendicular style ceiled wagon roofs. Exterior: Chancel with a 2-light decorated C20 east window with a hoodmould and a 2- light square-headed south window with cusped lights, the frame dated 1711 with the initials R.R. The only external nave/chancel division is on the south wall where the chancel is slightly narrower than the nave. The nave has a tall 3-light presumably 1930s window east of the porch with uncusped Tudor arched lights. To the west of the porch a 2-light window with trefoil-headed lights and a square-headed hoodmould is set within one of the blocked arches of the former arcade. The north aisle has a rectangular rood loft stair turret with a slit window and large square-headed windows with cinquefoil-headed lights and pierced quatrefoils in the spandrels. The 3-light east window is Perpendicular and appears to be largely medieval with a hoodmould, carved label stops, saddle bars and stanchions. The small, plain, battlemented tower has short set back buttresses with set-offs at the west end only and no west door. The west window was discovered after the fire, 1-light with a depressed 4-centred arch. Louvred slit windows to the belfry on all faces, a second slit opening below on the south side. The gabled porch has a plain, rounded, outer doorway with chamfered jambs stopped below the springing of the arch. The ceiled wagon roof to the porch could be C16 or possibly even later with a moulded wall plate and reeded ribs. The 2-centred moulded inner doorframe is constructed of an unusual freestone, perhaps polyphant. Interior: Plastered walls; plain 4-centred tower arch; no chancel arch. C15 4-bay north arcade with moulded piers and arches and carved capitals. The remains of the former south aisle consists of two 2-centred blocked arches on cylindrical stone rubble piers. The ceiled wagon roofs are post 1932. Of the fittings, the font survived in part from, the pre 1932 interior, the bowl, plain and square, is a replacement but the decayed Purbeck marble base and cylindrical stem could be late C12 or C13. The other fittings are either post 1932 or have been introduced from other churches: the C19 benches originated from the churches of St John and St Paul in Exeter; the pulpit came from a church in Ivybridge (Tull). C16 and C17 wall paintings were noticed during the 1932 restoration (Tull) and may still survive behind modern plaster. Tull, Christopher S. Mariansleigh, Church and People (1981). This includes 2 photographs of the church showing the extent of the fire damage.

Listing NGR: SS7440122050

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

97617

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Tull, C, Mariansleigh Church and People, (1981)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.