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Summary

Bickington parish church, thoroughly restored in 1883-4.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1097150: CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN
• Listed Building (I) 1097150: CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN
• Listed Building (II) 1097151: CAP OF CHEST TOMB IN ST MARY'S CHURCHYARD, REUSED AS OUTER STEP TO PRIESTS DOOR

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5108

Monument Types: none recorded

Full description

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

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1097150 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

Parish church. C15 with early C16 north aisle, late C19 south porch and vestry, and late C19 or early C20 boiler house. C14 window, probably re-used, in tower. Church was thoroughly restored in 1883-4; south wall, south porch, and east and west gables of north aisle rebuilt. Architects for restoration were Ewan Christian of London for the chancel and Robert Medley Fulford of Exeter for the remainder. Devonian limestone, with granite detail for the medieval work and Ham Hill stone for the added 1883-4 detail. Slated roofs. Nave, chancel, north aisle, west tower and south porch; vestry at east end of north aisle and boiler house at west end. South wall of nave and chancel has 4 Perpendicular 3-light windows, which appear to be the originals reset, though with some detail replaced in newer granite; this applies to most of the mullions in the 2 middle windows and to much of the head- tracery of the left-hand window of the pair. The 2 end windows are taller than those in the middle, and have pointed rather than ogee heads to the lights. Between the 2 right-hand windows is a priest's door with a 2-centred arch having ogee, threequarter round and hollow mouldings, together with sunk spandrels; straight hood-mould above. Between the 2 middle windows is an ornate Gothic buttress of Ham Hill stone, added in 1883-4. Under tile eaves is a hollow-moulded granite corbel table. The east gable has kneelers and a stone coping, all but one kneeler-stone on the south side having been restored. Perpendicular east window of 3 lights, matching the outer windows in the south wall. North aisle has 3 windows, all of 3 lights with straight hood-moulds. The 2 eastern windows have Tudor-arched lights with sunk spandrels; the western window is closely similar, except that the arches are segmental. Just to the left of this window is a straight joint, suggesting that the aisle was extended westwards in the early or mid C16. The mullions in all 3 windows have been renewed. Between the 2 eastern windows is a rather crude 5-sided stair turret to the rood loft; it overlaps the hood-mould of the window to the east and looks like a later addition. It has a slit window and an inserted door of late C19 or early C20. East and west walls of the aisle were rebuilt in 1883-4 and each has a traceried window of that date. The part of the north wall of chancel not overlapped by the aisle has a corbel-table matching that on the south side. Tapered 2-stage tower with 5-sided stair turret on the south. Lower stage has chamfered plinth. In west face is a lightly-moulded round-arched doorway with pyramid stops, set in a moulded rectangular frame; late C19 door with ornate wrought-iron strap-hinges. Above the doorway is a 3-light window with intersecting tracery. The lower stage is finished with a moulded stringcourse, just above which in the east face is a single-light window with a pointed arch. The belfry openings are also pointed, 2 to each face and paired, except in the south face where they flank the stair turret and have almost rounded arches with straight hood-moulds. Stair turret has 5 slit windows, the 3 lowest with pointed arches. Tower is finished with a stringcourse and crenellated parapet; pinnacle on each corner renewed in 1883-4. South porch, rebuilt in 1833-4, has heavy angle- buttresses. Its doorway is ogee-headed, culminating in a finial which also forms the base of a niche (empty) in the gable. Vestry, added in 1883-4, has a 3-sided angle turret with ogee-headed windows; above it, against east wall of aisle, rises a buttressed chimney with gabled cap. Interior: north arcade has 4 pointed, double-chamfered arches on octagonal piers with chamfered caps. The piers of the 2 eastern arches (which are probably earlier than the rest) have hollowed faces. Tower arch is rounded with chamfered imposts. Doorway at foot of tower stairs is of chamfered granite with pointed arch and pyramid stops. On north wall of north aisle is a painted red and black panel flanked with C-scrolls, probably of late C17 or early C18. On it is inscribed: "How amiable are thy tabernacles, 0 Lord of hosts. My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Psalm 84.1.2" Nave, chancel and north aisle have wagon roofs of probably early C16 character, although much restored in 1883-4; chancel roof is said to have been wholly rebuilt. Roofs have moulded ribs with carved bosses at the intersections. Nave and chancel have cornices of intertwined vine leaves, against which are set angels, holding shields, one at the foot of each arch-brace. In the chancel the angels' wings are unfurled, while at the west end of the nave one angel on each side seems to be on the point of unfurling his wings. The north aisle has part of a similar cornice at the west end, but without angels. Fittings: octagonal granite font, probably of C15 or early C16, with plain plinth, shaft and bowl. Flat-topped C17 wooden cover with handle on top resembling a turned baluster, sides carved with fruit, serpents and winged cherub-heads; this was restored in 1883-4 by Harry Hems of Exeter. Before the restoration the font stood in the north arcade, facing the south door. Chancel stalls, altar table, lectern and credence table also by Harry Hems; the stalls incorporate 6 old linenfold panels. Bellframe replaced in 1960. Monuments: on east wall of chancel, to right of window, a stone tablet of 1689, surrounded by C-scrolls and with a coat-of-arms on top; traces of red, black and gold paint. Several good C17 tomb slabs on floor of chancel and north aisle.
Date first listed: 23th August 1955.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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