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Summary

Church of 15th or early 16th century date restored in 1907-8. May have been a church here from the 12th century. Contains a 15th century carved and painted screen (originally from Bradninch Church), a 12th century font and 18th century pulpit. The clock on the tower, donated in 1930, has the letters MY DEAR MOTHER replacing numerals on the face. Tombstone of Ralph Woodleigh (died 1593) in the north aisle is the oldest dated floor leger in any Dartmoor church.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1209699: CHURCH OF ST PETER

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5107
• National Monuments Record: SX77SW50
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 898211
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77SW/5
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 85253

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (Built, Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))
• TOMB (XVI - 1593 AD to 1593 AD)
• WAR MEMORIAL (World War I to World War II - 1914 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

Keyser, C. E., 1898, On the Panel Paintings of Saints on the Devonshire Screens, 183-222 (Article in Serial). SDV134840.

Lancefield, A. P., 1902-1903, The screen at Buckland in the Moor, 126 (Article in Serial). SDV301774.

Bligh Bond, F., 1903, Devonshire Screens and Rood Lofts. Part II, 447 (Article in Serial). SDV6113.

Ordnance Survey, 1906, 108SW (Cartographic). SDV336776.

Clarke, K. M., 1914, The Baptismal Fonts of Devon. Part 2, 433-434, plate (Article in Serial). SDV16795.

The font was irreparably damaged under the guise of restoration in the early C20th. It was the only girdled tub font in Devon standing on its original 5-stone base, which was coated with cement when 'restored'. There is a band of star ornament around the rim, a wide bowl of palmetto and a cable at the base of the bowl. Below this is a single row of scalloped ornament and a band of circular medallions enclosing a six-painted star each.

Fryer Cornelius, C., 1946, Ancient Devon Parish Churches within a Ten Mile Radius of Newton Abbot, 123-152 (Article in Serial). SDV312246.

Fryer Cornelius, C., 1947, Fittings, Furnishings and Finishings of the Ancient Devon Parish Churches within a Ten Mile Radius of Newton Abbot, 81-89 (Article in Serial). SDV312247.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: South Devon, 71 (Monograph). SDV336217.

Church. St. Peter's parish church. Two stage unbuttressed west tower with stair turret in the middle of one side. The west window, if correctly restored, is circa 1300. North aisle with 3-bay arcade of cornish type. Wagon roofs in nave, chancel and south porch. Font, screen. Medieval tiles under the west tower.
Font. Girdled tub. Damaged on restoration. Only tub font in Devon standing on an original base. Base has been thickly coated with cement. Band of Norman star ornament round rim obliterated by cement. Band of palmetto, in panels formed by the curved stem; lozenges between the panels. Girdle is a cable twist. Below it is a single row of scallop ornament, and round the lower stone is a band of circular medallions enclosing the six-pointed star, with beads between the points. Patch of new stone on west side. Plate shows font before restoration.

Lamb, S., 1957, Some notes on 18th century furnishings in the parish churches of Devon, 218 (Article in Serial). SDV65364.

Small battered-looking pulpit with a back panel, but no sounding board. The modern base and part of the staircase are neat and suitable.

Belsey, P. M., 1983 - 1987, Buckland In The Moor Parish Checklist (Un-published). SDV345904.

Site visit 13th February 1983. The building is situated on a slight eminence within a curved churchyard on a shoulder of a hill overlooking the steep and wooded valley of the river webburn. It is a small granite structure with perpendicular crennelated tower with stairs at side. There are coloured bosses in the porch, medieval tiles in the floor by the tower and a 13th century piscina. The church was restored in 1907 by G. H. Fellowes Prynne. The font is 12th century, the pulpit 18th century and the carved and painted screen is said to have come from Buckfastleigh Church. A tomb of Ralph Woodley Lord of the manor, died 1st August 1593 is in the chancel. Kelly's Directory refers to a chalice dated 1579 which according to the vicar is still in use. The clock, donated by William Whitley of Wellstor in 1930 has the letters MY DEAR MOTHER replacing numerals on the face. According to the church warden's accounts the new bells were hung in 1731. For photos and detailed references see worksheet.

Department of Environment, 1986, Buckland in the Moor, 33 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV350073.

Parish church, a chapelry of Ashburton. It is 15th or early 16th century. Granite rubble - south wall of nave and chancel and north wall of chancel covered with roughcast. Slated roofs. See list for details.

Glasscoe, M., 1987, Late Medieval paintings in Ashton Church, Devon, 182-190, plan, plates 43-47 (Article in Serial). SDV301777.

Rood screen. St. Peter. Screen to chancel, perpendicular, carved and illuminated, paintings on lower panels. Wooden staircase for access to rood loft, carved and coloured remains. Parclose screens removed in the 17th century. Groining and cornices removed and portions of the cusped groining panels have been planted on the face of the screen. Paintings are comparable in style, but not in subject matter or quality of execution, to the medieval paintings in Ashton Church.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 232 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Additional reference.

Brown, M., 1996, A guide to the Parish of Buckland-in-the-Moor, 4-5 (Monograph). SDV361770.

First mention of the church is in Bishop Lacey's Register of 1420, but the first church on the site was probably erected in the 12th century. A little spartan, but homely, the church boasts a 12th century font as well as a 15th century screen (originating from Bradninch Church). The clock has My Dear Mother instead of numerals on its face; a memorial to one of the Whitley family of nearby Buckland Court. Church retains some medieval floor tiles in the nave and the tombstone of Ralph Woodleigh (died 1593); the first Lord of the Manor to be buried in the church is in the north aisle. It is the oldest dated floor leger in any Dartmoor church.

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

Respondent to Dean Milles questionnaire mentions a tomb in the chancel. Inscription dates it to 10th August 1593.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

English Heritage, 2012, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV348729.

Parish Church, a chapelry of Ashburton. 15th or early 16th century. Granite rubble; south wall of nave and chancel and north wall of chancel covered with roughcast. Slated roofs. Nave, chancel, north aisle and transept, south porch, west tower. Exterior of main body of church has been heavily restored and there is little that can certainly be said to pre-date 1907-8, except for a 2-light window in south wall of chancel, the lights chamfered and with round arches; the 3-light east window has old moulded jambs. The south porch is also much restored, but retains its original moulded doorway with 2-centred arch at the front and hollow-moulded corbel-tables at the sides. Inside the porch are old stone seats at either side. The wagon roof appears to be a restoration. The 2-stage, battlemented tower is completely unrestored. The west door has a moulded 2-centred arch enclosed by a rectangular chamfered frame. Above it is an old window of circa 1300 appearance with 2-pointed- arched lights set within a 2-centred arch and chamfered hood-mould. Against the south face is a 5-sided stair turret with slit windows. The ringing chamber has a single round-arched window in the east face, while the bell-chamber has paired apertures with 2-centred arches in each of the north, east and west faces, the south face having a similar single aperture at the east side of the stair turret. In west face a 20th century clock with musical chime. Interior has granite arcade of 3 arches on the north side, the arches double- chamfered and 4-centred, the piers with 4 attached shafts having a hollow moulding between them. Tower arch is round-headed with chamfered imposts. On north side of chancel a winding stone stair to rood loft, entered through a chamfered doorway with Tudor arch. In south wall of chancel a piscina with roughly shouldered head. Wagon roofs are 20th century restorations.
Fittings: Norman limestone font, goblet type with palmette, resetts and cable ornament. Original traceried wooden screen with painted figures on the lower panels, most of those on south side having been destroyed; on the reverse side are 4 large panels with figures painted in black and white. Traceried openings above retain much old paint; canopy is a restoration. Early 18th century wooden pulpit; 6-sided, the sides with raised-and-fielded panels. The rear side is developed into a tall, fluted Doric pilaster flanked by scrolls. Over south door a board painted with royal arms of George II and date 1745. On walls of north aisle 3 slate tablets of19th century carved with the creed and 10 commandments. Beneath the tower arch some re-set medieval glazed tiles. On floor of north aisle 4 slate tomb slabs, 1 dated 1593. An old photograph displayed in the church shows box pews removed during the restoration of 1907-8; parts of these may survive in the panelled dado that now lines the nave, aisle and transept. Date listed: 23rd August 1955.

Muriel and Richard Brine, 2015-2019, Devon Heritage, War memorial pages (Website). SDV352499.

Buckland in the Moor - The War Memorial 1914 to 1918
In the church is a roll of honour “Be it remembered that the following men from this parish served their country in the Great War 1914-1919”
H. Brooks
T. Brooks
W. Easterbrook
A. Frood
F. Hallet
J.C. Hannaford
R.C. Huggins
A.J. Perkins
H.J. Perkins
J.T. Perkins
F. Pascoe
W. Philp
E. Partridge
A further plaque to Henry Jeffry Perkins is also in the church.
There is also a memorial to those who died in the Secon World War: "In memory of those who fell in the war 1939-1945"
G. Lang
A. Pascoe
P.P. Whitley
E.N. Whitley
Further details regarding the servicemen who died are included.

Griffith, F. M., 26/06/1989, DAP/MN, 3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV294219.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV6876 - FLOOR TILE (XI to Late Medieval - 1100 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events: none recorded

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