Church of St Mary and St Giles

Details

BUCKERELL BUCKERELL SY 10 SW

5/96 Church of St Mary & St Giles 22.2.55

GV II*

Parish church. The cruciform plan suggests a C13 or C14 core, the church is said to have been dedicated in 1319, C15 alterations, restoration of the 1830s and 1840s "under the direction of the present worthy vicar, Rev. Ed. Coleridge", (Spreat, Churches of Devon, text to litho showing church in 1842), reseating of 1906 by R.W. Sampson of Sidmouth Rendered stone, slate roofs. Plan: Chancel, nave, west tower, north and south transept, south-east vestry. Date of 1838 on south transept presumably refers to restoration, vestry presumably also late 1830s. Exterior: Chancel with buttresses to the east wall, 3-light C19 or C20 Perpendicular traceried east window with a hoodmould and carved label stops (date 1900 on rainwater head). The north side has a probably C19 2-light traceried window. On the south side the chancel retains some probably C17 lead guttering decorated with a vine. Circa late 1830s south-east Gothic vestry, gabled to the east and the south with a 2- light C19 Perpendicular south window and a west door with a hollow-chamfered doorframe carved with a black letter inscription "Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness" and a C19 plank and stud door. The nave has a 2-light C19 Perpendicular windows with hoodmoulds and 1-light cusped windows in the west and east walls. The nave has 3-light C19 Perpendicular windows to the and south sides at the west end. A decayed inscription in the gable of the south transept is recorded as "This gable was built by subscription A.D. 1838". Edwin E. Coleridge, Vicar". 3 stage unbuttressed battlemented west tower with external steps on the north side. West door with a moulded frame with an 1830s or 1840s text. "This stage unbuttressed battlemented west tower with external steps on the north side. West door with a moulded frame with an 1830s or 1840s text. "This is the gate of the Lord of Righteous shall enter into it", C19 plank and stud west door. 2-light C19 Perpendicular west window with carved label stops; 2-light cusped belfry openings on all 4 faces, square-headed opening below belfry stage on the west face, 1-light cusped window on the south face. Interior: Plastered walls. Probably C19 chancel arch wing into the walls with 2 orders of C19 texts over it; plain segmental arches into the transepts. Late C15/C16 ceiled wagon to the nave with shallow carved bosses; plastered ceilings to transepts with thin moulded ribs along their axes; probably C20 boarded wagon to the chancel. The chancel has a C19 piscina and aumbry and a late C19 timber and brass communion rail. C17 style reredos with a frieze of round-headed timber arches, late C19 choir stalls. 4-bay chancel screen, Perpendicular and said to have brought to the church from eleswhere in the C19: medieval coving on both sides, the fenestration has been altered. The nave has probably late C18 or early C19 box pews with fielded panels, pulpit and lectern of 1911 and an early C19 Perpendicular style font with an octagonal bowl decorated with tracery. The west gallery with a canted projection in the centre has been considerably repaired, but retains some C17 brackets. The north transept is fitted out with box pews including a large family pew with a panelled dado. Glass The chancel retains fragments of an early C19 scheme re-set on glass quarries including a memorial window to Edward Coleridge on the north side and one to Eleauor Northcote, died 1848, on the south side. North window of the north transept by Warrington, probably late 1840s with texts on the window jamb. The east windows of both transepts may also be by Warrington. Monuments A purbeck marble ledger stone in the chancel commemorates Mary Fry, died 1669. The chancel retains several early C19 marble wall plaques, 2 signed Knight of Exeter. The north transept has a fine monument to Admiral Graves by John Bacon, 1792 with a figure in relief in a roundel below an eagle and a tall tapering back plate. Several early C19 wall tablets and, in the south transept, a rather unusual wall monument to Alfred Ford, vicar, died 1904, signed Keith and Co. London. A brass panel with a brass inlay border in a polished black frame with pink marble brackets and 2 angles holding a Chalice. On the south wall of the nave a wall monument to Isabella Sedgewick, died 1767 with needed jambs and brackets, crowned with an urn with a flower festoon. Hanging in the tower is a seating plan for intended seating in 1773. The south transept is not shown. The plan is annotated by irritated parishioners complaining that alterations had been made to it following the faculty.

Listing NGR: ST1232200363

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

87099

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Spreat, W, Picturesque Sketches of the Churches of Devon, (1842)

End of official list entry

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