Church of St Mary the Virgin

Details

SX 86 NW TORBRYAN DENBURY VILLAGE 4/35 Church of St Mary the Virgin -

GV I

Parish church. Early C14 (dedication by Bishop Stapeldon in 1318) with C19 vestry. Repaired about 1845, chancel restored in 1866, whole church repaired under auspices of S.P.A.B. in 1912, by William Weir. Stone roughcast rendered (except for south porch of stone rubble). Slated roofs. Nave, chancel, north and south transepts, west tower, south porch, vestry at east side of north transept. Nave has two late C19, medieval-style windows each side. At west end of north face a chamfered doorway with two-centred arch and hood-mould. South transept has late C19 Perpendicular windows of three lights in east and south walls, and has (probably C19) buttresses at south end of east and west walls. North transept has similar north window, but a medieval window with 2-centred head in east wall (blocked, no tracery visible). Chancel has C14 window on each of north and south sides, having 2-centred heads and 2 lights with pointed arches. South side has a similar window to left, at a lower level, heavily restored externally. Priest's door with moulded surround and two-centred arch. East window has 2-centred arch and 3 lights with intersecting tracery. Tapering 2-stage tower with projecting stone plinth, string course above each stage and battlements at the top. West face has moulded doorway with rounded head. Above it a 3-light window with 2-centred arch and intersecting tracery. Belfry openings of 2 lights, 2 centred arches, each side; lights with 2- centred arches, except for those in east face which match the north and south chancel windows. Weatherings of older, much steeper nave roof. In north case a diamond-shaped clockface with gilt lettering and a single hand; information sheet in church says clock dial 1730, restored 1968. Weather vane above tower on curved iron supports. South porch gabled, with C19 coping and cross. Inner doorway moulded with 2-centred arch. Contains good pair of C19 wood gates imitating C14 tracery; wooden grilles instead of panels. Interior: both transepts and tower have double-chamfered imposts. Chancel has piscina with trefoiled head in south wall. In north wall, cut into by C19 vestry doorway, a large, crude, quatrefoil- shaped window. To left of it the upper doorway of the former stair to roof screen; chamfered, with 2-centred arch. Nave, chancel and transepts have old wagon-roofs with moulded ribs. Fittings: Norman font of pink sandstone with palmette decoration. Wooden screen across opening to north transept (previously across south transept and thought to have been brought from Dartington old church); has five openings with 2-centred heads having quatrefoils and darts in the spandrels, each opening (except the centre doorway which has only the head-tracery) of three ogee-headed lights with plain penels below. Monument: in west wall of south transept, grey and white marble monument to Jospeh Taylor, esquire (d.1732), signed John Weston, consists of an obelisk with man's head in profile surrounded by canon, an anchor and other naval equipment. Low-relief panel below of a three-masted ship engaging four-oared galleys. Belfry not inspected but reported to contain a bell of 1631 and a bell of 1633. Sources: W G Hoskins, Devon, 1954, p.500. N Pevsner, South Devon, 1952, pp. 118-9. Kelly's Directory of Devonshire, 1914, p.199. Council for the Care of Churches, Schedule of Bells for Preservation 1984.

Listing NGR: SX8237668852

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

84313

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: South Devon, (1952), 118-9
Kelly's Directory in Kelly's Directory, (1914), 199
Hoskins, W G, A New Survey of England in Devon, (1954), 500

Other
Schedule of Bells for Preservation, (1984)

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.

Print the official list entry