Church of St Mary

Details

EXBOURNE EXBOURNE SS 60 SW 5/53 Church of St Mary 22.2.67 GV II* Parish church. Some early C14 fabric with C15 rebuilding and early C16 addition, restored 1884 with further addition. Chancel and north wall of nave constructed of local stone rubble; tower, porch and south aisle built of granite ashlar. Gable ended slate roof. Plan: Nave, chancel, south aisle and south porch, west tower. The chancel shows evidence of earliest work with an early C14 west window, the nave probably dates to the circa early C15 and the tower may be of the same date. Judging by its windows the south aisle is early C16 but the porch built in front of it appears to be earlier. The Church was extensively restored in 1884 by Fulford when the north wall was rebuilt and the vestry and organ chamber added. Apparently evidence of a north transept was found during this work. Exterior: 3-stage West tower with crocketted pinnacles and set-back buttresses. 2- light belfry openings have ogee heads. West doorway has 4-centred head and is hollow chamfered in rebated chamfered square surround. Quatrefoils in spandrels. Image niche above and 1 in buttress to either side which are ogee headed. 3-light west window with surprisingly simple Perpendicular tracery with no cusping. The rebuilt north nave wall has vestry at its east end with hipped roof and projecting stack at right-hand side that cuts across the rood stair projection which has a 2- light granite mullion window. On the north wall of aisle the easterly window re- uses early fabric with 2 cinquefoiled lights and trefoils above. The window to its rignt is completely restored in Decorated style. The Chancel has a good circa early C14 3-light east window with reticulated tracery. Above it is a datestone of 1656. The south aisle east window is very large of 4-lights with late Perpendicular tracery. On the south side are 3 early C16 3-light granite mullion windows with segmental heads and square hoodmould. There is a similar window at the west end of the aisle. Their mullions have been renewed. Small 2-centred arched priest's doorway probably re-used from original south wall. 1 storey south porch has doorway with depressed 4-centred head, imposts and moulded capitals. Interior: Porch has simple chamfered south doorway with 4-centred head. C17 plank door with trident hinges. Original wagon roof with moulded purlins and principals and renewed bosses. 4-bay granite arcade of Pevsner A-type piers and 4-centred moulded arches. Tall 4-centred tower arch which is double-chamfered. The internal walls are plastered. Crocketted internal arch to east window carved by Hems during restoration. The nave and chancel roofs are late C19 or early C20 boarded wagon roofs. Early but restored wagon roof to aisle with moulded purlins and principals. C15 rood screen extending across nave, originally longer. Considerably restored but retaining mainly original Perpendicular tracery and some of the frieze. Panelled pulpit inscribed "S.W.1665". The font is a composite probably composed of parts from several different fonts: its base and shaft are old but of a different kinds of stone, the bowl is C19. At east end of aisle is wall memorial with inscribed slate flanked by Ionic columns with segmental arch above which has a ball finial. To Simon Westlake who died 1667. Sources: Devon C19 Churches Project. Beatrix Cresswell : Churches in the Deanery [of Okehampton.]

Listing NGR: SS6021601917

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

92936

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

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

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.