CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: I
List Entry Number:: 1242581
Date first listed:: 26-Aug-1965
List Entry Name:: CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN
Statutory Address:: CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN

User submitted image — Uploaded by ChurchCare This photo may not represent the current condition of the site
View all

Location

Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.

There is a problem

Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions.

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.

What is the National Heritage List for England?

The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.

The list includes:

🏠 Buildings
🏰 Scheduled monuments
🌳 Parks and gardens
⚔️ Battlefields
⚓ Shipwrecks

Find out more about listing

Images of England Project

To view this image please use Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Edge.

Archive image, may not represent current condition of site.

Date:: 2004-07-13
Reference:: IOE01/12835/01
Rights:: © Mr Peter Beeching. Source: Historic England Archive

Historic England Archive

Search over 1 million photographs and drawings from the 1850s to the present day using our images archive.

Find Photos

Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: I
List Entry Number:: 1242581
Date first listed:: 26-Aug-1965
List Entry Name:: CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN
Statutory Address 1:: CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Devon
District:: Mid Devon (District Authority)
Parish:: Down St. Mary
National Grid Reference:: SS 74293 04461

Details

DOWN ST MARY DOWN ST MARY SS 70 SW 2/162 Church of St Mary the Virgin 26.8.65

GV I

Parish church. C11, possibly Anglo-Saxon origins; rebuilt in C15; nave, aisle, chancel and vestry thoroughly renovated and much rebuilt 1878-8O by J D Gould in collaboration with the Revd W T A Radford and chancel enrichment by G E Street. Tower of roughcast rubble with granite dressings, and some medieval stone rubble in chancel; C19 walls of snecked volcanic stone and muds tone with cream, red, purple and grey sandstone detail; slate roof with grey stone embattled crested ridge tiles which are pierced and enriched with fleur-de-lys over the chancel; yellow sandstone roof with purple stone crested ridge to porch. Nave and chancel under continuous roof, north aisle with east chapel and vestry at right angles to north of chapel, west tower and south porch. Perpendicular tower, the rest Decorated Gothic style. C15 low and plain tower in 2 stages with low set back buttresses up to the lower dripcourse. It has a chamfered plinth, embattled parapet and on north side stair turret with tiny granite and volcanic stone slit windows projects square and rises above tower with its own embattled parapet. Belfry has original granite 2-light windows with elliptical, nearly round-headed heads. On west side volcanic 2- centred arch doorway has chamfered surround with pyramid stops. It contains a C19 plank door on strap hinges with fleur-de-lys finials. Above is a largely original volcanic stone 3-light arch-headed window with simple Perpendicular tracery and soffit chamfered hood. Tiny light to ringing loft on south side of tower. Rest of church has unified scheme of circa 1880. Decorated style windows. All have different designs of geometric tracery. All mullions and tracery of Bathstone but surrounds of various stone. South side of nave of purple-coloured masonry is enlivened by 2 horizontal bands of grey ashlar, one at window sill level and another at the springing level of the main arch-headed windows. There is a shallow buttress at left end. Left end window is a small square-headed single light window. The 2 main windows to right of porch are arch-headed windows of similar size but left has 3 lights and right has 4 lights. Each has jambs of alternate purple and red ashlar with soffit-chamfered purple arch. South porch is gabled with front flanked by buttresses. 2-centred outer arch with double ring. Inner ring of moulded Bathstone, outer ring of soffit-chamfered volcanic stone, both onto grey moulded imposts and volcanic responds have external niche for small red sandstone circular columns. Above the arch is a soffit-moulded dripcourse with an elaborately carved arch-headed niche in the apex and containing a terracotta figure of the Virgin and Child. Purple volcanic coping and apex surmounted by an ornate cross. Small trefoil-headed single lights in each side. The break between nave and chancel is marked by the projecting pulpit passage. Projecting square with yellow stone monopitch roof and solid central gablet with fleur-de-lys ridge. It has moulded eaves cornice. Purple volcanic front includes blind 4-bay arcade of bands of yellow, grey and purple stone and centre 2 bays pierced by small slit windows. South side of chancel of possibly medieval rubble and includes a single C19 2- light arch-headed window. East end has large 3-light window with moulded hood and carved vine leaf labels, and another similar in recessed east end of north aisle. Both gables have shaped kneelers and soffit-moulded coping and crosses on the apex, an ornate Iona cross to chancel and a Botonee cross to north aisle. North side of chancel includes a possibly C15 tiny round-headed lancet. Vestry has simple 3-light window in north gable end with moulded hood and carved labels and west side of roof carried down over entrance lobby which includes a shoulder- headed doorway containing original door and twin trefoil-headed lights. Ornate chimney shaft of different coloured stone. North aisle has 2 square-headed 3- light windows with geometric tracery. There is a buttress between the windows and setback buttresses on west corner. West end aisle window is 3-lights and similar to that at east end. Good interior with very distinctive style. Porch has open common rafter roof with shaped collars. Sides of patterned and coloured stone. South doorway is shoulder-headed arch, the lintel using a carved Anglo-Saxon tympanum of Salcombe stone. Its stylised carving is well-preserved. It may represent Daniel in the Lion's Den although more obscure subjects have been proposed such as Adam naming beasts or the Norse myth of the god Tyr and Fenris the wolf. C19 double doors with ornate strap hinges. C19 tall tower arch has chamfered arch ring of Beerstone with soffit containing contrasting bands of coloured stone and rests on plain soffit-chamfered imposts. Inside the tower contains C15 2-centred arch doorway of volcanic stone with chamfered surround which contains original studded plank door. No chancel arch. Continuous open wagon roof to nave and chancel, the break marked by a bay without purlins. Roof is heavily restored and most timbers appear to be C19. It has moulded ribs and purlins and a series of C19 carved rose motif bosses. It retains the 1880 scheme of painted decoration. Wall plate and soffits of the common rafter trusses have geometric designs interrupted by stylised rose motifs and mouldings are highlighted with gold and maroon. The paintwork is more elaborate in the chancel. North aisle roof is an open wagon roof which appears to retain higher proportion of C15 work including many of the varied carved bosses. The break between the aisle and east chapel is marked by a ring of bosses representing the Face of the Virgin Mary. It is painted like the nave roof. C15 granite 4-bay arcade between nave and aisle with 1 bay overlapping to chancel. It has moulded piers (Pevsners Cornish A-type) with simple capitals to shafts only. Large C19 volcanic arch with a broad bead-moulded soffit to vestry which has a boarded vaulted roof with ribs of arch-braced trusses showing. North aisle wall of exposed plain masonry but wall over arcade (both sides) and south wall of nave are faced with C19 ashlar in which different coloured stone are employed to produce a distinctive decorative effect. The nave includes small blocks of Beerstone carved with sacred symbols and arcade has mosaic friezes over the arches. Nave arcade and aisle inc ude projecting blocks of Beers tone which were obviously intended for carved enrichment but were not finished. The north wall the roofs and vestsry were designed by J D Gould. The stone patterning by Gould in collaboration with Revd W T A Radford. The chancel, however, was designed by G E Street. It is plastered with a rich wainscotting of Nottingham alabaster. Wainscotting is enriched with panels of sunken circles with chamfered surrounds to coloured marble and each circle framed by black fleur-de-lys of inlaid marble. Ornate alabaster reredos of 3 panels. Larger central pane with embattled cornice and carved leaf franc around delicate pattern of polychrome mosaic and is flanked by panels with sunken quatrefoils containing carved angels against a ground of blue mosaic. Brass alter cross also designed by Street. On south wall is a Beerstone arch-headed piscina and credence, the back of which is a polychrome mosaic of the Pelican in her Piety under a Holy Grail. The alabaster and marble work was executed by Earp of Pimlico and the mosaics by Salviati. The superior brass altar rail has double standards filled with Gothic tracery and embellished with coloured glass and enamel designed by Gould. Most of floor of black and red tiles but chancel has patterns of encaustic tiles. North chapel has marble altar shelf (grey with inlaid red lozenges and black Latin cross) resting on carved Beerstone brackets and below is more patterned stonework including a band of alabaster with inlaid marble. The floor below has encaustic tiles set in a mosaic pattern of tiny tiles framed with inarbl.e. To right is a tiny tent-headed niche which may be medieval. Chancel has C19 Gothic oak stalls. The oak rood screen includes a little C15 work but enough to show that the rebuild is a faithful reproduction of the original. Wainscotting has applied Perpendicular tracery with lower scenes of quatrefoils. Windows of Pevsners A-type tracery and coving includes Gothic-only decoration. Rich cornice of 4 bands of delicately carved and undercut foliage. Restoration work was professionally carried out by Zacharia and William Bushell, local master joiners who lived close by in Bushells Cottages (q.v.) and whose work is commemorated in an inscribed plaque over south door. Magnificent pulpit by Gould is entered from chancel by projecting pulpit passage. Stone base of different- coloured stone includes stem of clustered shafts with moulded capitalsand bases and has circular drum of ornate wrought iron and brasswork embellished with jewel- like coloured glass. C19 oak lectern. All benches, including 1 in chapel, are oak and good early C16 craftsmanship. The frontals and rear benches have blind arcades of applied Perpendicular tracery. The bench ends are carved with frames of wreathed foliage flowing from vases. Most are carved with 2-bay arcade of tracery with quatrefoils at base and featuring bas relief Renaissance motifs including faces, symbols of the Passion, etc. C19 prie dieu uses C16 carved bench ends. C15 granite font with octagonal bowl and base and moulded stem, and C19 hood. C17 chest in chapel and organ rebuilt 1932 according to plaque. Good C19 stained glass throughout. Chancel glass by Hardman of Birmingham, the rest by Clayton and Bell. The finest is the Mary Thain memorial (d.1886), the Jesse window at the west end of the aisle. Only memorial is white marble plaque in north aisle remembering First World War dead. Besides the Anglo-Saxon tympanum the church includes high quality C19 work. The Revd W T A Radford determined the whole shape of the restoration. He was squire, parson, patron and incumbent. For half a century he was one of the most important figures in the High Church movement in the Diocese of Exeter and also had strong and well-informed views on architecture. He was a founder member of the Exeter Diocesan Architectural Society and his friends included G E Street and Clayton and Bell. Sources: Devon SMR and Devon C19 Church Project.

Listing NGR: SS7429304459

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:: 441989
Legacy System:: LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.