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Summary

12th to early 13th century chantry chapel situated in Buckfastleigh churchyard to the east of the church. The chapel survives as a rectangular single celled building measuring approximately 13.7 metres long by 7 metres wide internally of which three walls are still partially standing whilst the remainder of the structure is preserved as buried features. Within the interior of the chapel are several graves dating from the 1800’s to the early 1900’s. The chapel is of an early date and may have had an upper room for a priest or pardoner. Despite having several graves within it, this early building survives comparatively well and the presence of some fragmentary red and yellow painted plaster on the interior walls is a particularly unusual and rare feature. The chapel does not appear to predate the church since parts of the latter are of similar date, but both occupy the same churchyard.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1209046: CHURCH RUINS TO EAST OF CHURCH OF HOLY TRINITY
• Scheduled Monument 1002501: Chapel E of parish church

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX76NW23
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 444843
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX76NW/9
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 392237
• Old SAM County Ref: 370

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CHANTRY CHAPEL (Built, XI to XIII - 1100 AD (Between) to 1250 AD (Between))

Full description

Mee, A., 1938, Devon, 89 (Monograph). SDV310442.

Chapel ruins east of the parish church. A single cell unbutressed 13th century chapel of coursed rubble. Not an earlier parish church, as the present one contains work as old. Double light east window, with small circular window in gable, above offset (supporting tie beam roof or era flat ceiling?). South door with segmental head and at least one single light window per side. A ruined 13th century chapel with a room above for priest, or pardonner.

English Heritage, 1951, Buckfastleigh (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV325655.

Chapel ruins to east of Church of Holy Trinity at Buckfastleigh. Chapel, possibly detached chantry chapel. Ruinous. c1300. Local grey slatestone rubble with freestone dressings. Plan: roofless ruin of an aisleless building of which the east wall, part of the south wall and a small section of the north wall remain. Exterior: very thick walls with putlock holes and a wide, deeply splayed east window, dressed externally with alternating bands of chamfered red and cream stone with a glazing rebate. The surviving dressings suggest a trefoil-headed window. The south side retains the remains of a similarly-decorated probable lancet to the east, the sill mended with mullions; a doorway with a cranked relieving arch (dressings gone) and the east jamb of another window. The north side preserves the fragmentary remains of the east jamb of another window. Interior: preserves the fragmentary remains of wall plaster. Close inspection reveals some traces of red and yellow painted decoration on the splay of the east window. A very unusual survival. Other details: LBS No 392237.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1951, SX76NW23 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV310443.

(11/7/1951) Greater part of south wall, whole of east wall, and a fragment of the north wall attached to north east corner still survive. A small portion of window remains at the western extremity of the south wall. The south doorway and another window in the south wall survive. There is a large window recess with parts of the moulding of the frame in the east wall, and a fragment of the window at the west extremity of the remains of the northwall. On the inside of the east wall, between the south east angle and the large window, there is a small recess which may at one time have held a piscina. The walls are ragstone built with grey shaley rock and there are abundant traces of cement facing. The mouldings of the exterior of the east window and the small fragment of moulding surviving with the south east window are of mixed freestone and sandstone materials. Late Norman windows suggest very late 12th century or early 13th century date. Other details: Plan & photograph.

Department of Environment, 1983, Buckfastleigh, 7 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337043.

13th century - 14th century ruins of probable chantry chapel. Only east and south walls remain with short section of north wall. The east wall is gabled. Built of stone rubble. Lancets, deeply chamfered inside, one with remains of trefoil head.

Robinson, R., 1983, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1983 (Un-published). SDV345762.

Field Monument Warden visited 12/12/1983.

Department of Environment, 1985, Images of listed buildings in Buckfastleigh, 15/07/1985 (Photograph). SDV359974.

Two images of the ruins of the chapel.

Department of Environment, 1988, Buckfastleigh, Holy Trinity Parish Church, Chapel Ruins (Schedule Document). SDV310452.

Scheduled Monument Consent granted for repairing and repointing walls and arches.

Griffith, F. M., 1988, DAP/JP, 3a-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV292049.

Blaylock, S. R., 1991, Buckfastleigh chapel fabric survey 1990 (Report - Survey). SDV292043.

Chapel lies on different axis and alignment to church, near eastern boundary of churchyard (which steps out to respect the chapel). Comprises east and part of north and south walls, 7m wide by 10m surviving length. Minimum original length of c13.7m suggested. Interior partly filled with graveyard earth. Original floor level higher than external level. Stump of north wall utilised as part of grave plot in which the earliest stone is dated 1878. Primarily of grey sandstone with a wider range used for dressings. No granite in the primary builds - though some (from the church?) used in 20th century consolidation. Evidence of pointing on areas of interior wall. Report gives detailed description of surviving structure.

Horner, B., 2002, Holy Trinity Church excavations (Ground Photograph). SDV325651.

Photographs of the chapel during excavations at Holy Trinity Church in 2002.

Dodd, M., 2004, Dean Milles Parochial Survey. Questionnaire (1747-1762) (Un-published). SDV162499.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

'Chapel (remains of)' maked on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1209046 / 1002501 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

List number: 1002501
The chapel in Buckfastleigh churchyard is of an early date and may have had an upper room for a priest or pardoner. Despite having several graves within it, this early building survives comparatively well and the presence of some fragmentary red and yellow painted plaster on the interior walls is a particularly unusual and rare feature. The chapel does not appear to predate the church since parts of the latter are of similar date, but both occupy the same churchyard.
This monument includes a 12th to early 13th century chantry chapel situated in Buckfastleigh churchyard to the east of the church. The chapel survives as a rectangular single celled building measuring approximately 13.7m long by 7m wide internally of which three walls are still partially standing whilst the remainder of the structure is preserved as buried features. The east gable wall is almost complete and is approximately 7m high and 0.75m thick. It has a lower deeply splayed window with dressed stone and some fragmentary painted interior plaster. Above is the lower part of a round window without dressed stone. A partially in-filled piscina is situated on the interior east wall between the window and the south east corner of the building. The southern wall of the chapel is almost complete, standing to a height of approximately 5m. This has a surviving arched doorway, a lancet window and part of a second window. There are also a number of 0.2m square putlog holes. A short standing fragment of the north wall leads from the north east corner of the building and has part of a lancet window. Within the interior of the chapel are several graves dating from the 1800’s to the early 1900’s. The chapel is listed at Grade II*.
List number: 1209046
SX7466 CHURCH HILL 1011-1/7/4 (North West side) 10/01/51 Chapel ruins to east of Church of Holy Trinity - GV II*
Chapel, possibly detached chantry chapel. Ruinous. c1300. Local grey slatestone rubble with freestone dressings.
Plan: roofless ruin of an aisleless building of which the E wall, part of the S wall and a small section of the N wall remain.
EXTERIOR: very thick walls with putlock holes and a wide, deeply splayed E window, dressed externally with alternating bands of chamfered red and cream stone with a glazing rebate. The surviving dressings suggest a trefoil-headed window. The S side retains the remains of a similarly-decorated probable lancet to the E, the sill mended with mullions; a doorway with a cranked relieving arch (dressings gone) and the E jamb of another window. The N side preserves the fragmentary remains of the E jamb of another window.
INTERIOR: preserves the fragmentary remains of wall plaster. Close inspection reveals some traces of red and yellow painted decoration on the splay of the E window. A very unusual survival.
Listing NGR: SX7428666567

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV3798 - Photographs taken of Holy Trinity Church during excavations

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