Church of St Mary

CHURCH OF ST MARY

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1326285
Date first listed:
22-Feb-1967
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY
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Date:
2004-10-08
Reference:
IOE01/12836/28
Rights:
© Ms Sue Bizley. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1326285
Date first listed:
22-Feb-1967
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF ST MARY

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

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

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

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

Location

Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY

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

County:
Devon
District:
West Devon (District Authority)
Parish:
Northlew
National Grid Reference:
SX 50788 97959

Details

ASHBURY SX 59 NW 3/35 Church of St. Mary - 22.2.67 GV II*

Redundant parish church. Late C16/early C17 Tower, the rest of the church totally rebuilt in 1871-2 for Henry Wollcombe Archdeacon of Barnstaple. Coursed volcanic stone rubble walls. Gable end slate roof with C19 decorative ridge tiles. Plan comprises nave, chancel, west tower and south porch. The tower is late C16/early C17 the remainder was rebuilt, reputedly on the plan of the original church, in 1871-2 in Decorated style. 2 stage tower with diagonal buttresses, battlemented with 4 obelisk pinnacles. Chamfered plinth. 2-light belfry openings which are square-headed. Round-headed west doorway has hollow and roll mouldings terminating in scrolled head stops. At the apex is a keystone with carved stone mask which may be re-used. 2-light window above has 4-centred heads with recessed spandrels and a hoodmould which is peaked at the centre. There are 2 small arched stair lights on the north side chamfered plinth. The rest of the church is C19 with a chancel lower than the nave. The name has 2 2- light windows on each side which have plate tracery. On the south side the chancel has a single cinquefoiled light with a trefoiled light to its right, on the north side it only has a cinquefoiled light. Below it is re-used granite 4-centred arched priest's door. The east window has plate tracery. Single storey gabled south porch has 2-centred arched doorway. Interior: The Tower arch is roundheaded with a chamfer and dropped keystone. The C19 interior is simple but with some decorative detail such as the corbel stones of carved foliage design on which the chancel arch rests. Exposed roof of paired common rafters with collars and collar purlin, and arch-braced principal rafters. The C19 fittings are fairly intact including trestle benches. Re-set in the tower are 3 C17 memorial slabs and one of 1595 to Arthur Strowde. This church retains an unusually late tower and the rest, despite being rebuilt in the late C19, is well-designed with some simple but pleasing detail. Source: Beatrix Cresswell - Churches in the Deanery of Okehampton

Listing NGR: SX5078897959

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:
94247
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Cresswell, B F, Notes on Devon Churches in the Deanery of Okehampton, (1906)

Legal

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

Ordnance survey map of Church of St Mary

Map

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

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.

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