Details
WOODLEIGH VILLAGE CENTRE
SX 75 NW
5/126
Church of St Mary
26.1.67
GV II*
Anglican parish church. Basic C14 plan, rebuilt after a fire in 1649 and much
restored 1891. Slatestone with granite dressings, slate roof, clay ridges.
West tower, nave, north and south transepts, south porch, chancel. Unbuttressed
tower in 2 stages with slight offset, C19 embattled parapet on corbel table;
double chamfered arch to C19 door under 3-light C19 Perpedicular window. South
and north faces have slit in lower stage, and bell stage has shouldered louvred
light to each face. Nave south side has a C19 three-light and C14 three-light
incusped window either side of gabled porch with apex cross and slate sundial of
1707 over plain round arched doorway, to pointed inner doorway with remains of
ware mould; Good arch-braced roof with moulded purlin and central principal.
Nave has chamfered granite eaves course. South transept has 3-light round-
headed under square stopped hood mould, above which a recessed slate slab with
inscription R 1647 C, slit above; east wall has 3-light incusped to flat arch,
as nave. Chancel with lower roof line and without gable coping, has 3-light
cusped to square head; east end, with angle buttresses in 2 offsets, has 3-light
C19 Perpendicular under a stone consecration panel dated AD 1891; north side a
2-light in square head. North transept is rendered, has 1891 doorway, a 3-light
Perpendicular window, and a small cusped light set low. Nave north wall is
plain, and the building is set into the slope on this side. Stack to north
transept ridge. Interior: tower is unplastered, heavy unmoulded arch to nave
which is on a tiled floor with plain walls, hollow mould rere-arches to windows,
C19 ceiled barrel roof. Low, unmoulded pointed arch to south transept on wood
block floor, C19 barrel roof, plain walls; north transept through higher plain
arch, part tiled floor, barrel ceiling, granite segmental arch to door to east.
Chancel, up one step, on tiles, plain walls, pointed ceiled barrel; 4 marble
steps to altar with dossal. Fittings and monuments: octagonal Transitional
font bowl in granite, two pointed sunk panels to each face; C19 benches, Eagle
lectern, pulpit and granite base, 5 wall monument, 7 suspended oil lamps. South
transept has good early C20 carved wooden altar. In chancel a C19 piscina, but
C14 Easter Sepulchre serving as enclosure to monument to Sir Thomas Smyth,
Rector, 1492-1527. Tomb chest in ogee-arched recess, figures of St Peter and St
Paul below four mutilated figures; scroll with abbreviated Latin inscription.
Altar is flanked by Decalogue painted on ogee-headed panels in good C19 detail;
also a faience painted panel in alabaster surround, 1898, to Zoe Irene Suther-
land Sands. Gothick white marble tablet of 1850; suspended oil lamps, but
electricity also fitted. (Pevsner, N; South Devon 1952; Slader,J M;
The Churches of Devon; 1968).
Listing NGR: SX7378648842
