Church of St Mary the Virgin

Details

SX 69 SW BELSTONE BELSTONE

3/5 Church of St Mary The Virgin

22.2.67

GV II*

Parish church. C15 tower; early C16 south aisle; nave, chancel and north porch rebuilt during major renovation of 1881. Tower and aisle of massive coursed blocks of granite ashlar (more regular in the aisle); nave and chancel of snecked granite; granite ashlar detail; slate roof. Plan: Nave and chancel under continuous roof. Full length south aisle. West tower. Vestry in angle of tower and aisle. North porch. Exterior: Low unbuttressed west tower of 2 stages with embattled parapet and corner pinnacles. Internal stair in north-west corner. Belfry has lancet windows, double ones on east and north sides. West side has 2-centred arch doorway with double- chamfered surround below a square-headed twin lancet window with sunken spandrels and the remnants of a hoodmould. C19 nave and chancel north side includes gabled porch towards right end with 2-centred outer arch. To left of this is a reset late C15-early C16 square-headed 3-light window with ogee heads, sunk spandrels and hoodmould with rosettes carved on the labels. Left of this 2 C19 lancets (the end one to the chancel) and another at the right end. East end has a fleure lona apex cross on the gable and contains a C19 square-headed 3-light window with round-headed lights, sunken spandrels and a hoodmould. The south aisle has similar windows but these are early C16; a 3-light window on east end and 4 windows on south side, the right pair 3 lights and taller than the left end 2-light windows. C19 chimney shaft between the right two. C19 flat-roofed vestry in same style. Interior: C19 south doorway, a plain 2-centred arch, contains a plank door with good wrought iron ferramenta. The roofs are C19, open wagon roofs to nave and aisle and a 3-bay roof of arch-braced trusses to the chancel. C15 tall tower arch; a plain round-headed arch on soffit-chamfered imposts. Early C16 5-bay arcade with one overlapping the chancel; low arches with double-chamfered arch rings on monolithic octagonal columns with soffit-chamfered caps. The floor is a chequer pattern of C19 tiles including some reset C17 and c18 graveslabs. Plastered walls. Fittings and Furniture: Altar piece of 1912 comprising oak panels either side of a painting of the Madonna and Child (a copy of that by Mario Basaili). The 1881 altar was moved in 1930 to the south aisle where it was rededicated to our Lady, St. Francis and St. Lawrence. Oak chancel altar rail of 1881 is unusual with standards carved as openwork vines. Rood beam with bronze figure of Christ is a First World War memorial. Pulpit, lecturn and prayer desk are late C19 and C20, all oak with some good carving. C20, seating. C15 octagonal granite font has plain stem and base. Painted arms of George III in south aisle. The only memorial is a shaped marble plaque in memory of Reverend William Hole (d. 1828) signed by J. Taylor of Pembroke. Some late C19 and C20 stained glass. An unremarkable and much rebuilt Dartmoor church. Source: Church Guide.

Listing NGR: SX6192793500

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

94801

Legacy System:

LBS

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