See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Teigngrace Parish Church rebuilt in Gothic style in 1787 by the Templer family and restored in 1872. Shown as St Mary's Church on late 19th/early 20th century maps.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1166346: CHURCH OF ST PETER AND ST PAUL

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5436
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX87SW/46
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 84674

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (Post Medieval to XXI - 1540 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

Department of Environment, 03/07/1986, Teigngrace, 160 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV299514.

Parish church. Dedicated 1787 by James and George Templer Esquire and Reverand John Templer Esquire, vicar of Teigngrace, who demolished earlier church and rebuilt on site reusing some granite as quoins. Restored in 1872. Roughly dressed lime-stone and rubble with brick. Slate roofs with black glazed ridge tiles. West tower now without spire, west door, symmetrical nave and chancel with equal north and south transept and apse. Gothick 2 stage tower with angle buttresses and pronounced batter, set-offs each surmounted with attached oblisks on cyma recta bases. Original 6 flush panelled west door, (2 panels now glazed) in original surround of 3 clustered shafts with moulded cornice all breaking forward with 20th century softwood repairs. Dedication stone on rendered panel above doorway. North and south 18th century lunettes to vestible with crown glass leaded lights to north. Above Gothick 19th century chamnfered frames with diamond leaded glazing to first floor under 18th century dressed voussoirs, except west window unchamfered 18th century gothick frame with slated infill. Three large matching Gothick arched belfry louvres. Eighteenth century local brick crenellated parapet oversailing on brick block modilions. Three large 3 light Gothick timber windows with intersecting tracery light the church on north and south sides, with 18th century 6 paned bottom sliding sash, timber glazing bars and diamond leaded crown glass in each pane under ashlar voussoirs. Stone sills. Gabled transcepts with round leaded light in ashlar surround with original rose petal design. Apse with curved sides and straight end has smaller oculus in dressed surround: above a brick crenellated parapet. Small West door in north transcept 18th century roll moulded architrave and 19th century door.
Interior: Entrance vestibule in base of tower retains some 18th century joinery, panelling, door and coat pegs. Original access to floor above probably by ladder, replaced by 19th century staircase when also 4 octagonal elm posts with runout stops were introduced to support load of repositioned organ (see below). Church of single cruciform space with chaste Gothick ornament comprising nave and chancel with narrower south and north transepts (the latter 'probably the squires' pews, having a separate entrance from the West. Sanctuary up 2 limestone steps (now obscured by 19th century work) is in a shallow flat-ended apse with, high up, a tiny round window in front of which is fixed a large early 19th century copy by James Barry R.A. of a Vandyke Pieta. Answering this, at the west end of the nave, a deep gallery set back into the tower over the vestibule. The ceilings are plaster vaults, ovoid in section over nave and chancel (with ridge rib) but much steepened by narrower transepts. At the crossing, groin ribs run up to a thick ring cornice with tiny outward-facing cherubim at the cardinal points around a diminutive dome of 4 centred section. This is divided into segments by 12 ribs meeting at an acanthus chandelier boss. Eighteenth century Tudor-arched door from vestibule to nave has flush-panelled reveals and double doors with panels inset on east face and covered with 19th century studded red baise. Interesting 18th century and 19th century door furniture. To either side clustered and banded slender columns with polychrome marbling and from these small plaster demi-fan vaults spring to support a balcony, the ballustrade of which is 19th century. West and east walls answer each other in their decorative treatment : plain triple 4-centred arcading of 2 blind arches and a central longer one over gallery and apse. There is a continuous cornice, which ramps over the eastern oculus. Important 18th century organ by Davis of London : presumably it was set further forward originally, allowing a ringing chamber behind. Gothick case grained to simulate mahogany, cross-banded and picked out in gold, as are the show pipes : several stages of blind archading and a ramped cornice. The central canted pipe group is carried on a plume corbel and rises above the rest. On the north side 'E.S.B.' incised in serif letters. Although the manuals have been replaced much early pipework remains. Eighteenth century or early 19th century ladder to belfry where there is a construction of 3 oak timbers braced down to sill level by grown curved brackets and also 2 complete bells from earlier church, one with inscription 'John Gifford Warden 1701' are hung in a 20th century steel frame. At roof level, some evidence of a vanished octagonal steeple. The floors have limestone paviours including re-set 17th century ledger slabs. Eighteenth century fittings include a hexagonal limestone font with gadrooned bowl on hexagonal limestone balluster stem and the box pew of the south transcept. A fine series of mural tablets, noteably those to Charles Templer (died 1786) in polychrome marble with dolphins and a shipwreck scene; to James Templer of Stover (died 1782) in polychrome marble with a veiled urn; to his wife Mary (died 1784); and two by Coade and Sealy to James Templer (dated 1813) and Capt. W Templer (dated 1805). One the south side of the west wall on Cenotaph in marble and Coade stone with tiny gilt brass relief commemorating Nelson. Re-ordering of 1872 includes pews, communion rail and gallery ballustrade. Also of the late 19th century are the pulpit, reader's desk and lecturn. There is a second font by Caffin of Regent Street: octagonal bowl with relief panels of plants and heraldry (inscription on step has a date 1892). Lancet windows to apse have unmatched stained glass, that to the north circa1875 (inscription). Interesting 18th century fenestration elsewhere with both timber glazing bars and original leading patterns and much old clear glass. Despite late 19th century alterations a well-preserved and evocative 18th century country church and a regionally early use of Gothick style.

Lysons, D. + Lysons, S., 1822, Magna Britannica, 486 (Monograph). SDV323771.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Shown as 'St Mary's Church'.

Reichel, O. J., 1916 - 1917, Teigngrace Church, 108-11 (Article in Serial). SDV313042.

Author discusses the question of the church's dedication and gives reasons for the three different dedications.

Windeatt, E., 1916 - 1917, Teigngrace Church, 73-5 (Article in Serial). SDV313041.

An earlier dedication to St Mary's Church, Teigngrace, to St Peter and St Paul is noted. The former building was demolished in 1787 to give place to the present building. In 1789, it was referred to as dedicated to the Holy Trinity.

Watkin, H. R., 1924 - 1925, Templer Family, 329 (Article in Serial). SDV313043.

Church rebuilt in 1787 at the expense of the Templer family. Memorials to them of 18th and 19th century dates.

Ordnance Survey, 1930 - 1939, Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV336668.

Shown as 'St. Peter & St. Paul's Church'

Department of Environment, 1952, Newton Abbot RD, 99 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV304573.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: South Devon, 279 (Monograph). SDV336217.

Architecturally interesting, Gothic outside with a short west towr and pointed windows, but the interior is cruciform with arms all of equal length, an utterly un-Gothic concept. The east wall only has a slight extension, an apse with a pointed head. Above the centre of the little building a shallow unlighted dome, perfectly circular.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 491 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Teigngrace Parish Church, dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, was rebuilt by the Templers in 1787 and, though restored in 1872, retains some of its original interest as an early specimen of Strawberry Hill Gothic. Over the altar is large painting by James Barry, R.A., a copy of the famous Pieta by Vandyke in the Antwerp museum. There are several mural monuments to the Templers of 18th and early 19th century date, and a handsome cenotaph to Nelson.

Dudley, E. R., 1982, Teigngrace Church (Worksheet). SDV341549.

Details of paintings and plaster decoration noted.

Devon County Council, 1988, Templer Way Guide for the Walker (Leaflet). SDV341502.

Teigngrace Church, built by James Templer, contains many Templer memorials. Other details: Section 3, map.

Fletcher, M. J., 2000, St Peter and St Paul, Teigngrace, Devon: The Archaeological Watching Brief of the excavations in the Churchyard and the work on the Church (Report - Watching Brief). SDV341548.

The excavation of the soakaway pit (trench 3) exposed the corner of a brick-lined single burial vault which lay hard against the side of the apse on a north-east/south-west orientation (see plan). The trench was not deep enough to expose the top of the vault, but a small hole in the corner afforded a view inside, which revealed a plain lime plaster-faced chamber housing a single lead coffin. No detail of the lead coffin could be deduced and no name plaque was visible. There are no above ground tablets or slabs marking this burial. Probably dates to the 19th century given the style and form of the lime mortared brick. No other features of archaeological significance were encountered. Other details: Plan, photographs.

Adam, N., J. + Cox, P. W. + Chandler, J., 2001, Stover Ball Clay Works ROMPS, Teigngrace, Devon: Archaeological Assessment, 7 (Report - Assessment). SDV341497.

Other details: Site 5.

Exeter Archaeology, 2002, Archaeological Assessment of Tottiford to Newton Abbot Trunk Main, 13 (Report - Assessment). SDV281233.

Askew Nelson Ltd, 2014, Stover Park. Parkland Plan, 22, 26 (Un-published). SDV358318.

The church was rebuilt by the Templer family in 1787. There are Templer family memorials in the church dating from 1761.

Blaylock, S., 2015, Stover Park, Devon, 3 (Report - non-specific). SDV360090.

Built by James, George and John Templer in 1787 as a memorial to their parents. It is a rare example of a wholly Gothick parish church in Devon.

Drabble, S., 2018, Stover Park in the Great War, 14-15, 18,19 (Monograph). SDV364354.

Within the church is the war memorial which comprises two parts; a commemorative oak tablet bearing the names of seven men who died during the First World War and a stained glass window of St Paul shown holding a Bible and a pen with a sword at his feet. In the background is the city of Damascus. The memorials were unveiled in October 1921.
Also in the church is a marble tablet in memory of Richard Harold St Maur of Stover, who died in Kenya in 1927.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV285 - St Peter and St Paul, Teigngrace, Devon: The archaeological watching brief of the excavations in the churchyard & work on the church
• EDV286 - Archaeological Assessment of Tottiford to Newton Abbot Trunk Main
• EDV4418 - Archaeological Assessment of Stover Ball Clay Works Romps, Teigngrace, Devon

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.