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Summary

The church was probably founded by William de Ferrers in the C13 and rebuilt and extended c.1333 by his grandson William, who founded a Collegiate Church here. It was restored in 1871 with further restoration in 1997. It retains a number of medieval monuments and features.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1163103: CHURCH OF ST ANDREW

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5367
• National Monuments Record: SX46SE7
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX46SE/7
• Old Listed Building Ref (I): 92605
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX46SE7

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (Built, XIII to XIV - 1201 AD (Between) to 1400 AD (Between))

Full description

Unattributed Sites and Monuments Register Entry (Unattributed Sites and Monuments Register Entry). SDV263.

The church was badly restored in the 19th century; the ancient roof was stripped, gables disfigured, and walls roughcast. Archpresbytery founded 1333. Early 13th century west tower. Three moulded arches. Large squint into chancel. Tudor fireplace.

Loftus-Brock, E. P., 1883, The Peculiarities of the Ancient Churches of Devonshire, 27-34 (Article in Serial). SDV19516.

The church contains a 13th century effigy of a knight in chain armour.

Drake, T. M., 1906-1907, Votive figures in stained glass, 59 (Article in Serial). SDV216227.

There is a fine example of a votive figure, or secular effigy, depicting Sir William Ferrers and the lady Matilda in the east window of the church.

Wintle, F. T. W., 1908-1909, Willoughby Arms, 239-240 (Article in Serial). SDV216223.

Carved on one of the oak bench ends in Bere Ferrers church is a shield bearing the arms of Lord Willoughby de Broke, Lord of the Manor and patron in 1500.

Clarke, K. M., 1914, The Baptismal Fonts of Devon. Part 2, 429 (Article in Serial). SDV16795.

Watkin, H. R., 1918 - 1919, Sepulchral Slabs with Crosses in Devon Churches, 75 (Article in Serial). SDV7614.

A slab incised with a cross is now being used as the doorstep of a nearby cottage. The stone probably belongs to the church.

R. H. C., 1918-1919, Sepulchral slabs with crosses in Devon churches, 124 (Article in Serial). SDV216226.

The rector of Bere Ferrers negotiated for the return of this stone.

Cresswell, B. F., 1918-1919, Sepulchral Slabs with Crosses in Devon Churches, 4 (Article in Serial). SDV7613.

There is a large rectangular incised slab in the north transept, in memory of Roger Champernown who died in the 15th century.

Fryer, A. C., 1923-1924, Monumental effigies made by the Bristol craftsmen, 1-72 (Article in Serial). SDV216221.

Rushforth, G. Mc. N., 1932-1933, The Iconography of St Sidwell, 249 (Article in Serial). SDV85737.

There are representations of St Sidwell and St Zita are to be seen on the screen.

Beckerlegge, J. J., 1938, Seventh Report of the Plymouth and District Branch, 152-153 (Article in Serial). SDV139895.

St Andrew's was formerly a Collegiate College. The church tower is small, and probably belonged to the earlier building, enlarged in 1332 by Sir William Ferrers. In the ceiling of the south porch may be seen the original 14th century beams supporting the floor of the parvise chamber above, the beams having at the intersection bosses on which are carved the arms of the Ferrers, Latimers and other families. There is an ancient tub font of Hurdwick stone. The seats and bench ends are 16th century. The bench ends are elaborately carved. Two years before, a doorway which formerly led to the rood loft was discovered in the south wall of the chancel. The glass in the east window is said to be the oldest in Devon, with the possible exception of a few windows in Exeter Cathedral. Illustrated in Lysons' Devonshire.

J. B., 1940-1941, Bench ends at Bere Ferrers, 111-112 (Article in Serial). SDV216228.

There is a carved bench end celebrating the connection between the Ferrers and Willoughby families.

Copeland, G. W., 1949, Eighteenth annual report of the Plymouth and District branch 1948-1949 (Article in Serial). SDV339373.

The splendid early glass in the great east window has been replaced after its removal for the duration of the war.

Fryer Cornelius, C., 1952, Ancient Churches of the Tavistock Deanery, Devon (Article in Serial). SDV18005.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 332 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Knowles, D. + Hadcock, R. N., 1971, Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales, 420 (Monograph). SDV323253.

Beddow, Rev. A. J. C., 1975, A History of Bere Ferrers Parish (Pamphlet). SDV325357.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX46SE7 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV216217.

St. Andrews Church, Bere Ferrers was made collegiate by Sir William de Ferrers in 1328, for an arch-priest, four chaplains and a deacon.

Whittemore, P. J., 1978 - 1981, The Lost Monumental Brasses of Devonshire., 57-61 (Article in Serial). SDV57403.

Lost brasses on the tomb of Robert de Broke discussed.

Devon Religious Houses Survey, 1986-1987, Devon Religious Houses Survey 1986/87. Preliminary Assessment Form. Bere Ferrers (Un-published). SDV366932.

A secular college was founded at Bere Ferrers in 1328 by Sir William de Ferrers. It was attached to the parish church and had an arch-priest, four chaplains and a deacon. No evidence for the college survives apart from the church itself.

Devon County Council, 1986-87, Devon Religious Houses Survey (Un-published). SDV347681.

The secular college at Bere Ferrers was one of sixty plus religious houses investigated as part of the Devon Religious Houses Survey, a Devon County Council Rescue Project. The aims of the survey were to identify how much remains of the site and to consider how any surviving remains could be conserved for the future. The work comprised a rapid assessment of the site, summarising the present state of knowledge, followed by a more detailed survey where sufficient evidence and remains survived. See separate entries for the results of the surveys.

Department of Environment, 1987, Bere Ferrers, 12-14 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV343014.

Church of St Andrew. The principal building dates are the C13, circa 1330 and circa later C15, restored in 1871. Rendered stone rubble walls with granite and volcanic stone dressings. Gable ended slate roofs. Two probably C19 lateral cylindrical stone chimney stacks to side of north transept and north chapel and at west end of south aisle. The church at present consists of nave, chancel, long north and south transepts, north chapel, south aisle, west tower and south porch. See DoE list for full details.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 163-164 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Dyer, M. J. + Manning, P. T., 1998, Objective 5B: Lower Tamar Valley Recreation and Land Management Iinitiative: Cultural Heritage Appraisal, 56-57 (Report - non-specific). SDV319814.

The cruciform plan may date to the C13, earlier than most South Devon churches. It consists of possibly a C12 nave, mid C13 chancel, early C14 transepts with a south aisle, south porch and south chapel. The west tower is possibly C13 and the windows C13 and C14. The church was probably founded by William de Ferrers in the C13 and rebuilt and extended c.1333 by his grandson William, who founded a Collegiate Church. The early C14 stained glass in the east window depicts figures of Christ, William de Ferrers, his wife Matilda and a pilgrim with roundels above. There is a C13 piscina in the chapel, two C14 piscinae and double sedilia in the transepts. The recently restored chamber over the late C15 porch is accessible from a narrow staircase. The holy water stoup in the porch came from the original Holy Trinity church in Bere Alston. Medieval monuments include a canopied tomb in chancel with figures of a cross-legged knight and a lady with a wimple. The carving has been attributed to Bristol craftsmen c.1300. There is a tomb in the north transept with a figure of a cross-legged knight with a lion at the feet set in recess under moulded arch and a free standing tomb chest of Purbeck marble. The church was restored in 1871 and is undergoing further restoration in 1997.

Rainbird, P., 2014, Church of St Andrew, Bere Ferrers, Devon: Results of an Archaeological Watching Brief (Report - Watching Brief). SDV357627.

The decorated slab until recently located in front of the altar was in a similar position when reported in a publication of the British Archaeological Association in 1845. At that time it was placed on a stone floor elaborately carved with wheels and hexagons – this single large floor piece is now located against the wall in the north transept. The same publication described the decorated slab as an ‘altar-stone’. It may have been used as an altar stone at some point, but it seems unlikely that it was commissioned for that purpose. Indeed, it has most probably been displayed upside-down, with the mason’s marks actually on the topside rather than the underside. Viewed this way the decorated slab could be interpreted as an architectural feature, and has perhaps been brought to the church as an interesting ornament from elsewhere; the neighbouring manor house would be a candidate. It does not match the architectural style found elsewhere in the church.
The chancel has undergone significant modification during the life of the church; the archaeological watching brief has revealed the foundation for the south wall of the church prior to the addition of the south aisle. This modification probably occurred in the late 15th-century. On the north side of the chancel are highly disturbed deposits, probably dating to the poorly-recorded 19th-century and more recent renovations. No artefacts or human remains were observed and there is no indication that the proposed works will damage archaeologically-sensitive remains. See report for full details.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6642 - Archaeological Watching Brief at St Andrew's Church (Ref: ACD912)
• EDV2416 - Devon Religious Houses Survey

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