| Description: | All the visible fabric of the church is late-medieval and later in date, although the church is mentioned in 1199 (Cherry and Pevsner 1989, 392). The Norman font, however, attests a church on the site in the 12th century, and rectors of the church are known from 1273 (Cresswell 1908, 121). The font is illustrated in an engraving of four choice Norman fonts in Devon in the Lysons’ Magna Britannia (Lysons and Lysons 1822, opposite p.cccxxx) and in a photograph by Beatrix Cresswell (Cresswell 1908, opposite p. 123). Unusually amongst Exeter parish churches no candidate for St Mary Steps appears in the two early-13th century lists of Exeter churches (Rose-Troup 1923, v-vi; 20); although it has been suggested that the church may have had a joint dedication to SS Mary and Edward, or may have been originally dedicated to St Edward alone, in which case it would appear on Palerna’s list of c.1214 (Orme 1996, 161; idem 1991, 164).
Addition: The original description (above) stated that no early fabric had been observed in the church other than the font. Some probably 12th century fabric of the church has now been observed in the west wall of the nave. Recording took place in the adjoining property of 3-4 West Street in 2002, and this gave access to the outside face of the west wall of the church which was drawn in outline as a part of this work (Parker, R.W. 2002 Archaeological Recording and Historic Buildings Impact Assessment at 3-4 West Street, Exeter, Exeter Archaeology Report 02.84, especially fig. 6). The west wall of the nave was seen to be constructed of 'small angular blocks of random volcanic trap rubble, bonded with […] red clay' (ibid., 6). This is provisionally interpreted as the facework of the west wall of an early church. Above, at first floor level, volcanic rubble masonry (plus occasional blocks of Beer or Salcombe stone) bonded with lime mortar is visible, incorporating squared quoins at the north west corner of the church; the junction with the clay bonded masonry beneath was obscured, but it seems likely that the higher build represents a later medieval rebuilding, possibly in the 14th century to which, in turn, the tower, aisle and eastern chapel were added in the 15th or early 16th century (ibid., 14).
Original description by SRB, 2000; addition by SRB, 1.iii.2004. |
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