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Summary

St. Mary the parish church, may have existed before the norman conquest. The present building is late 14th century, built entirely of the dark local slate, with a fine buttressed tower of the south hams type. The south aisle is early 16th century. The font is norman on a new pedestal and base (hoskins). Vis=3/7/1877 (harpley) no features of interest; mainly perpendicular, with some slight remains of earlier work, especially in the transept (harpley)vis=chanter notes a probable early dedication of the site to the celtic saint, st. Pol de leon (or pawl hen) (chanter). Vis=this is one of the areas where buckfast abbey held estates, so it is presumed that an oratory was in existence at the time of the domesday survey (reichel). Vis=church of st. Mary. Probably of c13 origin and cruciform plan. Refashioned and enlarged in late medieval period when the south aisle absorbed the transept on this side. Granite arcade with monolithic columns. Screen base late medieval but much patched. Font has c12 bowl but the rest is modern. Plastered wagon roods which are largely renewed. Two storeyed porch (doe, 1960). Vis=parish church, c14 and c15. Coursed slate stone, granite dressings, slate roof. West tower, nave, continuous to chancel, north transept, south aisle and chantry chapel taken through to east wall of chancel, two storey porch west and south of aisle. Tower in 3 stages. Deep, narrow north transept, slate floor, plain walls, access for rood stair, squint 4 x 4 compartment barrel ceilings. Good c19 pulpit on flared base, incorporating some c15 panels. C19 screen to tower arch. See doe list for full details (doe, 1989)vis=the church probably dates from the c12/c13, but most of the present building is c15/c16. The church was laid out in the c15 for a large congregation with a nave, chancel and two full length aisles with lady chapels and carved granite arcades. A rood screen was built between the nave and aisles and the chancel and lady chapels. The tower is plain, but lofty, with external stair turret tied in and all built in ashlar slabs. It carries six bells and is a landmark for miles around (waterhouse)vis=place name 'stow' suggests existence of a british graveyard, probably with church (see pearce). The group of middle avon valley churches dedicated to st. Mary (halwell, diptford, north huish, woodleigh) may derive from a minster at churchstow (slater).

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1108148: CHURCH OF ST MARY

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5186
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX74NW/5
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (VIII to XIII - 701 AD to 1300 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV155482.

Hoskins, w. G. /devon/(1964)368.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV155483.

Harpley, w. /tda/10(1878)23-24/report of the council.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV155484.

Chanter, j. F. /tda/42(1910)491/christianity in devon before ad 909.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV155485.

Pevsner, n. /the buildings of england: south devon/(1952)79-80.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV155486.

Reichel, o. J. /tda/30(1898)310/the domesday churches of devon.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV155487.

Aph=dap/dx 8(9/9/1984).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV155488.

Doe/hhr:churchstow(-/-/1960).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV155489.

Doe/hhr:churchstow(28/7/1989)43-44.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV155490.

Des=waterhouse, r. E. /the church houses of south devon - an archaeological survey/(-/5/1991)55-65/copy in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV155491.

Pearce, s. M. /pdas/40(1982)1-18/church and society in south devon,ad 350-700.

SLATER, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV42392.

St. Mary the parish church, may have existed before the norman conquest. The present building is late 14th century, built entirely of the dark local slate, with a fine buttressed tower of the south hams type. The south aisle is early 16th century. The font is norman on a new pedestal and base (hoskins). Vis=3/7/1877 (harpley) no features of interest; mainly perpendicular, with some slight remains of earlier work, especially in the transept (harpley)vis=chanter notes a probable early dedication of the site to the celtic saint, st. Pol de leon (or pawl hen) (chanter). Vis=this is one of the areas where buckfast abbey held estates, so it is presumed that an oratory was in existence at the time of the domesday survey (reichel). Vis=church of st. Mary. Probably of c13 origin and cruciform plan. Refashioned and enlarged in late medieval period when the south aisle absorbed the transept on this side. Granite arcade with monolithic columns. Screen base late medieval but much patched. Font has c12 bowl but the rest is modern. Plastered wagon roods which are largely renewed. Two storeyed porch (doe, 1960). Vis=parish church, c14 and c15. Coursed slate stone, granite dressings, slate roof. West tower, nave, continuous to chancel, north transept, south aisle and chantry chapel taken through to east wall of chancel, two storey porch west and south of aisle. Tower in 3 stages. Deep, narrow north transept, slate floor, plain walls, access for rood stair, squint 4 x 4 compartment barrel ceilings. Good c19 pulpit on flared base, incorporating some c15 panels. C19 screen to tower arch. See doe list for full details (doe, 1989)vis=the church probably dates from the c12/c13, but most of the present building is c15/c16. The church was laid out in the c15 for a large congregation with a nave, chancel and two full length aisles with lady chapels and carved granite arcades. A rood screen was built between the nave and aisles and the chancel and lady chapels. The tower is plain, but lofty, with external stair turret tied in and all built in ashlar slabs. It carries six bells and is a landmark for miles around (waterhouse)vis=place name 'stow' suggests existence of a british graveyard, probably with church (see pearce). The group of middle avon valley churches dedicated to st. Mary (halwell, diptford, north huish, woodleigh) may derive from a minster at churchstow (slater).

Untitled Source, Photo (Migrated Record). SDV155492.

Slater, t. R. /tda/123(1991)71/controlling the south hams:the anglo-saxon burh at halwell.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1108148 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

CHURCHSTOW VILLAGE CENTRE SX 74 NW 5/77 Church of St Mary GV II* Anglican Parish Church, formerly dependency of Buckfast Abbey. C14 and C15. Coursed slate-stone, granite dressings, slate roof. West tower, nave, conti- nuous to chancel, north transept, south aisle and chantry chapel taken through to east wall of chancel, 2-storey porch west and of south aisle. Tower in 3 stages, each slightly inset to weathered string course, full height set-back buttresses with offsets; central octagonal stair turret on south face rising to battlement above battlemented parapet on continuous corbel. West front has near-round arch to C19 door under 3-light C15 window in to rows of voussoirs to relieving arch, drip course. Small 2-light traceried windows to bell chamber, square-headed light above ridge to east face, round-headed light to top stage, left of stair turret. Aisle west end has 3-light to round arch, and wall in same place as porch. Porch has diagonal buttresses to 2 offsets, 2-light C16 window to square label over 4-centred Tudor doorway, heavy moulded square drip course; plinths have 2+2 panels with quatrefoils or rosettes. Interior slate floor, stone benches, flat ceiling, inner door to 4-centre head in simple mould. 'South aisle' and chapel has five 3-light windows with rounded heads and segmental drips to horizontal stops, divided by 4 butresses to 2 offsets, and corner buttress. Last bay includes priest's door to 4-centred head. High coped verges to two east gables with terminal cross to chancel, and each with 3-light C19 Perpendicular window, below which a course of large squared granite blocks set flush, and cut well down into the churchyard. On return a C19 vestry, 2-light square-headed window with stopped drip; outer gable with square stack. North side of chancel has a 2-light C15, then a squint window with its own flat-pitched covering. North transept has a small early C14 light in east wall, north wall with 3-light C15, no quoins or dripstone. West wall plain but a high plinth to c.2 m; high coped verge. Nave has a 3 light proto-Perpendicular window, then 3 buttresses to 2 offsets and plinth in plain wall. Interior: tower has heavey double-chamfer arch on simple responds; nave to slate slab floor, plain plastered and scribed north wall, 4 bay granite arcade on standard 4 hollows and four shafts to heavy capitals. Barrel roof in 4x12 compartments with moulded and stopped ribs and bosses; this carries through in 4 x 7 compart- ments to chancel, with no chancel arch; raised on one step, slate floor, C20 altar and reredos. Walls plastered as nave. North door to vestry. South aisle similar to nave, 4 x 12 compartment barrel ceiling carried through as 4 x 7 compartment ceiling to chantry chapel. Deep, narrow north transept, slate floor, plain walls, access for rood stair, squint 4 x 4 compartment barrel ceiling. Fittings: good C19 pulpit on flared base, incorporating some C15 panels. Standard pews throughout, possibly late C18 or C19 return ends to choir stalls, facing nave, possibly medieval. Font has square bowl with some arca- ding, possibly C12, on Victorian base. C19 screen to tower arch. Monuments: small detached panel with coat of arms, and in good frame, near pulpit; 1715 to John Petters Esq er, Coustemer of Devon, gave 20/- yearly. Some good slate floor slabs, and in south chantry chapel a variegated marble one to Samell Ryder, Armiger 1727 (Aet 35) and Martyn Ryder 1723 (Aet 80). East window to Edward and Ann Harding, 1970, signed: A good church with little C19 modification, and a fine upstanding tower visible from many of the surrounding parishes. The un-traceried windows characteristic of many in Devon and Cornwall using the intractable granite for construction.
Date first listed: 28th July 1989.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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