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Summary

A very important chapel comprising a rare and excellent walled group, with early 18th century chapel, vestry and former day school.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1097511: SALEM CHURCH INCLUDING BOUNDARY WALLS AND ASSEMBLY ROOM

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY08NE/191
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 86317

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PRESBYTERIAN CHAPEL (XVIII - 1719 AD to 1719 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1855-1895, First Edition 1:500 Town Map (Cartographic). SDV338879.

'Salem Chapel (Independent)' shown.

Unknown, 1985, Forty-Second Interim Report. Nonconformist Chapels and Meeting-Houses in England (Report - non-specific). SDV347109.

1719. Square with domed ceiling.

Stell, C., 1991, Untitled Source, 78 (Monograph). SDV346926.

The church originally meeting here was formed circa 1709 as a Presbyterian society, later becoming Congregational but disbanding prior to 1975; in that year the chapel was reopened by an Evangelical, now Pentecostalist, congregation. The chapel, erected in 1719, is a square building with rendered walls probably of cob and a hipped slated roof. The east front has rendered quoins; the original central entrance was blocked and replaced in 1836 by two doorways on the site of former windows. The side and rear walls each have two segmental-arched windows; a small vestry projects from the west end of the north side. Detached to north-east is a later building formerly used by a day-school.
The interior (34.5 feet by 34 feet) has a vaulted plaster ceiling rising at the centre from an iron column (replacing a timber post, but retaining an original bracketed cornice) and from the walls above a moulded plaster cornice. An original E gallery with fielded-panelled front was extended along the adjacent sides circa 1836 and is now supported by cast-iron columns of that date. Contemporary box-pews remain in the galleries but the body of the chapel was reseated int he late 19th century.
Fittings: Clock: on front of east gallery, with painted face signed "Jno. Murch, Honiton", 18th century. Monuments: in chapel (1) Richard Baylie, 1732, John Waldron, 1740 and Mrs Elizabeth Bird, daughter of the first and widow of the second, 1762; (2) John Vinicombe, 26 years deacon, 1846, and Margaret his widow, 1847; in burial-ground north of chapel (3) Rev. Samuel Woolmers, Wesleyan minister, grandson of Rev. J. Hubbard of London, 1827; (4) Richard Gould, 1831, et al.; east of chapel (5) Henry Leatt, 1841, Jenny his widow, 1851, and Henry their son, 1876.

Unknown, 1995, A Tinge of Sadness for Potsbury's (Article in Serial). SDV351821.

Auctioneers were instructed to clear the contents of Salem Chapel, a time capsule of non-conformist worship in the South West, with a single stark and spartan square built room, fitted with upright pitch pine pews, and a gallery boasting a 30 hour non-striking wall clock by John Murch of Honiton.

Morgan, D., 1995, Appeal by the Trustees of Salem Chapel, East Budleigh, against East Devon District Council's Refusal of Planning Permission (Un-published). SDV346924.

Almost unique in Devon as a chapel with separate assembly room and boundary walls enclosing a graveyard as a single, self-contained and remot group. The remote location is a significan component of its character, Indeed, the removal of this group to the extremity of the Parish, away from the established settlement, is very reflective of the religious attitudes that prevailed at the end of the 17th- and beginning of the 18th centuries. DoE Ref: APP/U1105/A/95/259759.

Moyle, K., 1995, Salem Chapel (Correspondence). SDV351789.

Salem Chapel is a time capsule, and it is hoped that it can be conserved for its historical interest.

Thorne, R., 1995, Salem Chapel, East Budleigh (Correspondence). SDV346923.

A very important chapel comprising a rare and excellent walled group on the edge of the village, with its 18th century chapel, vestry and former day school. The interior too is important.

Taylor, S. J., 1996, Alterations to Salem Chapel, East Budleigh, Devon (Correspondence). SDV351856.

Close inspection of the fabric of the existing chapel seems to reveal the original presence on the front elevation of a pair of windows and a central door, which appear to match those on the other elevations of the building.

Bradleys Estate Agents, 1996, Salem Chapel and Premises, East Budleigh, Devon (Un-published). SDV346925.

Burton, N., 1996, Salem Chapel, East Budleigh (Correspondence). SDV351855.

The chapel is now in poor condition and deteriorating fast. The combination of cob walls and a flat central roof well make the building particularly vulnerable, and there is concern over the condition of the plaster vault which is one of the best features of the interior.

Maidment, J. F., 1997, East Budleigh: Salem Chapel (Correspondence). SDV346931.

The present owner is currently storing the clock for safekeeping.

Maidment, J. F., 1997, East Budleigh: Salem Chapel (Correspondence). SDV346932.

The wrought iron gates and some of the box pews have been stolen.
The Historic Chapels Trust has indicated that it is willing to take the Chapel into their care.

Moyle, K., 1997, Salem Chapel, East Budleigh (Correspondence). SDV346930.

Chapel clock is a substantial item, with a face some two feet across, made by Murch of Honiton. It was placed in the musicians' gallery of the chapel, in a niche consturcted for the purpose, when the chapel was built in 1719. It is unusual and now very rare in that not only is the facing English, but also the internal workings. It may well be even older than the chapel itself. Cherry + Pevsner dates it to the 17th century.
The clock was in working order until at least shortly before its removal from the chapel in 1995. Later that year it was discovered, in pieces, in the chapel. The present status of the clock is unclear.

Fisher, J., 1999, East Devon Conservation Area Appraisals: East Budleigh, 9 (Report - non-specific). SDV346582.

At the edge of the village is Salem Chapel, built in 1719 by the Independents. It has rendered walls, probably of cob, and a hipped slate roof. The original entrance was replaced in 1836 by two side doorways- the traditional 19th century non-conformist pattern. A feature of the interior is a vaulted ceiling supported by an iron column. The original gallery and pews survive and a 17th century clock from Honiton. There are later Vestry and Sunday School buildings. The building has been acquired by the Historic Chapels Trust and will be repaired and restored.

Thorne, R., 2001, Salem Chapel: Historical Notes (Un-published). SDV351790.

Salem Chapel, built in 1719 with rendered cob walls under a hipped slate roof. The original central entrance was blocked and replaced in 1836 by two doorways on the site of former windows. A small vestry projects from the west end of the north side and a later detached building to the north-east was used as a day school. The internal galleries are supported on cast iron columns with contemporary pews. An 18th century clock on the front of the east gallery has a painted face signed 'JNO. Murch, Honiton'. The chapel was closed in the 1970s. Memorials in the chapel date from 1732 to 1895 and those in the churchyard from 1841 to 1892.

English Heritage, 2011, Historic Houses Register (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV346128.

Salem Church including boundary walls and assembly room.
Built as a Presbyterian chapel, later Congregational chapel, Evangelical Church since 1975. 1719, refurbished 1836 according to the date plaque. Plastered walls are thick enought to be cob on stone rubble footings; slate roof. 19th century vestry projects at right angles from rear to right (north-eastern) side.
Front wall contains 2 panelled doors in low segmental headed arches. High in the wall in the centre is a rectangular limestone plaque inscribed, 'Salem Chapel, built 1719', and the sill is inscribed, 'enlarged 1836', (referring to an increase in seating capacity rather than structural alterations). The wall is lightly incised as ashlar and the corners have stucco quoins. Roof is hipped each end on all sides. Each side wall contains 2 tall segmental-headed windows containing replacment mullion-and-transom windows with glazing bars. The rear wall contains 2 tall and narrow round-headed windows with the 1836 pattern of glazing bars intersecting at the top.
Interior. The gallery across the front end is original with fielded panels over a dentil cornice. Those along the sides were added in 1836. These are supported on slender cast iron circular columns with moulded caps. They have a lower frieze comprising a fret pattern below panels with concave corners which contain rosettes. The moulded and bracketed cornice is original; so too is the vaulted ceiling rising at the centre from an iron post which replaced the original timber post. The timber preaching desk and benches are probably late 19th century but some earlier box pews remain in the galleries. Eighteenth century painted clock-face on north-east gallery. The small vestry contains late 19th century 4-panel door and 3-light casement with glazing bars. The assembly room in the eastern corner of the churchyard has a 2-window front of early 19th century 30-pane sashes, one either side of a later 4-panel door. Another 30-pane sash on the left end and on the right end a wide doorway to a basement. The small churchyard is enclosed by a whitewashed rubble and brick wall, more brick to the front. Front wall has plain square gate piers and contains 19th century cast iron double gates (spear headed rails alternately full height and to the lock bar) and wrought iron overthrow enriched with scrolls and including a lamp holder.
A well preserved and unusually early Non-Conformist Chapel.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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