Church of St Mary and St Benedict

CHURCH OF ST MARY AND ST BENEDICT

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1105169
Date first listed:
20-Feb-1958
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary and St Benedict
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY AND ST BENEDICT
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Date:
2007-09-04
Reference:
IOE01/16750/16
Rights:
© Mr John Warlow. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1105169
Date first listed:
20-Feb-1958
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary and St Benedict
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF ST MARY AND ST BENEDICT

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 AND ST BENEDICT

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

County:
Devon
District:
Torridge (District Authority)
Parish:
Buckland Brewer
National Grid Reference:
SS 41890 20915

Details

BUCKLAND BREWER SS42SW 6/67 Church of St. Mary 20.2.58 and St. Benedict (formerly listed as Church of St. Mary and St. Benedict and Buckland Brewer Church Room). GV. II * Anglican Parish church. C15; nave, south aisle and chancel heavily restored by S. Hooper of Hatherleigh in 1878-80. Squared and coursed slatestone, with ashlar to tower. Stone-coped and gabled slate roofs. Chancel with north chapel, nave with south aisle and porch; west tower. East end of south aisle is attached to a late C19 passage with crenellated wall: this is attached to a parish schoolroom, of C15 date and restored in 1880; this has a Perpendicular-style east window of 1880 and a 2-bay south front with a pointed-arched doorway of 1880 and two C15 two-light cinquefoiled windows. The rest of the church has fenestration of 1878-80. Two-bay chancel and 2-bay north wall of nave has Decorated-style windows. Four-bay south aisle has Decorated-style windows, with string course continued above C16 chamfered pointed-arched priest's door. C15 gabled porch: C18 sundial above C15 doorway with shallow-arched moulded granite architrave; inside porch is medieval stoup and image niche above Norman doorway of c.1200. Doorway has round arch of 3 orders, with beakhead and chevron ornament; imposts carved with interlaced round arches, and volute capitals to engaged columns. Three-stage C15 west tower has full-height offset angle buttresses, and string courses: hood mould over plain granite 3-light C15 Perpendicular window with panel tracery above hood mould over pointed-arched doorway set in square-headed architrave; label moulds over round-arched light and cinquefoiled image niche to south; 3-light shallow-arched and square-headed belfry windows with crenellated louvres; crenellated parapet with C19 crocketed pinnacles. Interior: 2 late C19 piscinae, one with part of C14 cusped head. Late C19 panelled reredos. Late C19 boarded waggon roof to chancel and arch-braced roofs to nave and south aisle. C14 two-bay arcade, of double-chamfered arches and central octagonal pier with chamfered impost. Late C19 chancel arch. C15 five-bay arcade, with pointed moulded arches set on round piers with bell capitals. South-east door of south aisle has moulded stone architrave carved with decoration of leaves, branches and shields. Fittings: late C19 choir stalls, benches, pulpit, lectern, and tower screen. Early C18 gadrooned and urn-shaped pulpit. Monuments: south aisle has tablet to William Radford Caddy, midshipman d. 1823, and John Caddy, d. 1822. Nave has monument to Edward Lee of Orleigh, d. 1819, by Richards of Exeter with weeping woman and urn set on pyramid-shaped mount, swag-shaped tablet to Peter Pasmore, d. 1808, and brass to the bellfounder John William Taylor, d. 1906. North chapel has group of fine monuments: memorial to Anthony Dennis, d. 1643, has 3 heraldic cartouches and nowy-headed pediment above kneeling figures flanked by Ionic columns, and informal group of children below. Monument to Philip Venning, d. 1658 at age of six, of coloured marble with black slate inscriptions: obelisk set in broken scrolled pediment above keyed roundel which frames demi-figure. Fine Baroque monument to John and Mary Davie (d. 1710 and 1709): angels and flaming urns surmount nowy-headed pediment with heraldic achievement above architectural frame with Corinthian columns and standing angels; inscription surrounded by foliage, cherubs heads and skulls heads; acanthus-leaf brackets flank consoles and lower inscription set in cartouche. (Buildings of England: North Devon, pp 63-4; National Monuments Record; plans of church showing details of proposed restoration by S. Hooper, 1878, and account of restoration by vicar (1891) in Devon County Record Office, under Faculty Petitions, Nos 7-16, 18-24 for Abbotsham parish).

Listing NGR: SS4189020915

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:
91384
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Devon North, (1952), 63-64

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 and St Benedict

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 06-Jun-2026 at 18:31:06.

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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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