CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE

Overview

Location

Details

HUNTSHAW SS52SW 8/109 Church of St. Mary 4.10.60 Magdalene (formerly listed as Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene) GV. II * Anglican parish church. Early C14; nave rebuilt and west tower built c. 1499; restored 1862. Coursed slatestone rubble with ashlar dressings; rendered nave and chancel walls; gabled slate roof. Plan of aisled nave and chancel, with north-east vestry, north chapel and north aisle. Chancel has mid C19 Decorated-style 3-light east window; early C14 Decorated 2-light south window, with cinquefoiled lights; north vestry has label mould with C15 and C19 stops over reset C15 square-headed cinquefoiled window and plain mid C19 pointed-arched north door. North aisle has mid C19 offset buttresses and 2 mid C19 two-light Decorated-style windows. South side of nave has similar mid C19 two and 3-light windows; the latter with some C14 mouldings. Mid C19 south porch has pointed-arched doorways and early C19 two-panelled inner door. Three-stage west tower, with offset diagonal buttresses and string courses; early C14 three-light rectilinear window above late C15 two-centred moulded doorway; label moulds over 2-light belfry windows with chamfered depressed arches. Interior: chancel has reset medieval inlaid floor tiles; mid C19 painted waggon roof with scrolled borders to blue panels; mid C19 wall painting around early C14 hollow-chamfered rear arch. Early C14 pointed moulded north arch set on moulded column with enriched leaf and figure carving to capital and image niche. Nave has late C15 two-bay north arcade which has three-centred arches set on similar capitals and columns with crocketed image niches. South aisle has C16 waggon roof with moulded ribs, carved bosses and vine-leaf carving to arcade plate. Tall round arch to west tower, which has early C14 hollow-chamfered pointed-arched doorway to stairs. Fittings: mid C19 brass candelabra; carved mid C19 benches in choir; mid C19 pews; mid C19 octagonal font. Monuments in north aisle: Baroque wall monument to Thomas Saltren, d. 1700, has inscription set in garlanded cartouche with floral and leaf swags, palm fronds at base and angel heads at top. Baroque wall monument to Mary Townsend, d. 1704, has broken pediment of swags set above Corinthian columns of black marble, enriched floral carving and brackets flanking black marble inscription surrounded by ballflower ornament with 3 skulls at base. C17 and C18 slate ledger stone in aisle and nave include one dated 1641 with inscribed skull, hourglass and poetic inscription. In 1499 Bishop Lacy "granted an indulgence in aid of the rebuilding of the fabric". (Buildings of England: North Devon, p. ; W.G. Hoskins, Devon, 1954 (1972 edn), p. 414).

Listing NGR: SS5067122892

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

91426

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N , The Buildings of England: Devon North, (1952), 414
Hoskins, W G, 'A New Survey of England' in Devon, (1954)

Legal

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