| Description: | Although there is evidence for an early church of St Mary Steps, most notably the Norman font, no fabric is known as yet (cf. Monument No. 11029). The visible fabric of the church is 15th century or later, and is of well jointed Permian breccia ashlar throughout, with some volcanic stone inside (in the arcades, for instance: Cresswell 1908, 121). Like several other of the parish churches of Exeter, the tower is accommodated within the plan, with arches to north and east giving into the body of the church (cf. St Petrock, Holy Trinity); otherwise the plan consists of nave, chancel and a south aisle. With the site set on a steep slope the floor of the church lies substantially above the entry level from the street, and the church is approached by steps within the south door. At ground level at the south-east corner is a vaulted room, terraced into the slope, and used as a porter’s lodge for the west gate opposite (Cherry and Pevsner 1989, 392). The nave and chancel may represent the site of the earlier church (a suggestion by Richard Parker), although no early fabric has been observed. The aisle may be dated to the later 15th century, possibly the 1460s in response to bequests by a parishioner, Felicia Selman in 1462 (her arms appear on a roof boss); possibly the end of the century, or into the 16th century, since another roof boss contains allusions to the cap of maintenance granted to the city by Henry VII (Cresswell 1908, 121-2).
The ancient rood screen had disappeared, but on the demolition of St Mary Major in 1865 a section of screen was obtained from that church and erected across the south aisle (cf, Monument No. 11131), and complemented by a copy across the nave by Edward Ashworth and Harry Hems (Cherry and Pevsner 1989, 392; Cresswell 1908, 122-4). The famous clock, colloquially called ‘Matthew the Miller’ and ‘much noticed by country people and strangers’ according to Jenkins (1806, 405; cf. Cresswell 1908, 120), is composed of dial with relief-carved depictions of the four seasons in the spandrels; niche above with a central seated figure flanked by standing figures, all armed; dated to 1603-1624 (Cherry and Pevsner 1989, 393). The central figure is identified as Henry VIII by Jenkins, amongst others (Jenkins 1806, 405). The ring of four bells is of interest as it was cast by the Exeter founder John Pennington in 1656; the casting pit of the excavated Pennington foundry at Paul Street contained traces of four coeval moulds in its base (the earliest moulds in the sequence), and it is probable that these were the moulds for the Mary Steps bells (cf. Monument No. 11259; Blaylock 1996, 79). Interesting extracts from the churchwardens’ accounts are given by Cresswell (1908, 125-6).
Addition: Recording of the west wall of the church exposed in the adjoining property of 3-4 West Street in 2002 revealed areas of early masonry thought to represent the 12th century church (see Monument no. 11029), some fine volcanic masonry of the northwest quoin of the church (possibly C14th in date) and the lowest course of the west wall of the tower, built of large breccia blocks, presumably of late 15th or early 16th century date (Parker, R.W. 2002 Archaeological Recording and Historic Buildings Impact Assessment at 3-4 West Street, Exeter, Exeter Archaeology Report 02.84, p. 6 and fig. 6).
Original description: SRB 6.ix.2000; addition by SRB, 1.iii.2004.
Extant: Yes |
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