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Summary

15th century church with earlier west tower. Contents include an ornate screen of circa 1518 and a Norman font. The church stands on a hill, commanding a view of the Teign estuary.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1256897: PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5130
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX87SE/7
• Old Listed Building Ref (I): 464445

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (Built, XV - 1401 AD to 1500 AD (Between))

Full description

Windeatt, E., 1884, Nonconformity in Newton and its Neighbourhood, 492 (Article in Serial). SDV348896.

There is a monument, with effigy, to Lady Reynell who died in 1652.

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

Harris, S. G., 1899, Notes on the History of Newton Abbot, 287-9 (Article in Serial). SDV338239.

Perpendicular church comsisting of a chancel, nave and north and south aisles with a tower of two stages at the west end.

Bligh Bond, F., 1903, Devonshire Screens and Rood Lofts. Part II, 494-5 (Article in Serial). SDV6113.

The church of St. Mary, Wolborough retains a remarkable series of screens:
1. A rood screen to the nave and aisles of very good perpendicular work.
2. North and south parclose screens to the chancel.
3. Small screens forming enclosures on the western side of the rood screen, at its north and south extremities.
The rood screen, which is now broken into three divisions, originally ran across the church. 'Beautifyed' by the feoffees in 1710. A remarkable series of paintings representing saints and apostles on the lower panels of all screens. The main screens retain their ancient cornice enrichment in a fairly perfect state, but the groining has disappeared and nothing is left of the upper cresting. A good deal of ancient colouring remains, but the screen was rebuilt in 1866, and a few of the figures have been repainted.

Gibbs, R., 1906 - 1907, Ford House, 40 (Article in Serial). SDV348897.

Wainwright, T., 1906 - 1907, Inscriptions in Devonshire Churches, 4 (Article in Serial). SDV5296.

Monument to Guliemus Buckland, died 1760, in St. Mary's Church, Wolborough.

Stabb, J., 1908, Some Old Devon Churches, 146-7 (Monograph). SDV348900.

The church was either rebuilt or extensively restored in the 14th century.

Thompson, A. H., 1913, Church Architecture in Devon, 471,474-5,479-80,487-8 (Article in Serial). SDV15387.

Clarke, K. M., 1916, The Baptismal Fonts of Devon. Part 4, 315, Pl.8 (Article in Serial). SDV145498.

Font in the church of St. Mary, Wolborough. Similar to that at Thurlstone, the bowl has palmetto or honeysuckle for its main ornament, with saw-tooth below and cable above. Necking at head of shaft and round base, on square plinth. Made of red sandstone. 914 millimetres high, external diameter of font bowl 775 millimetres.

Watkin, H. R., 1926 - 1927, William Briwer, 193 (Article in Serial). SDV16799.

William Briwer, died 1226, gave Wolborough Church to Torre Abbey.

Cresswell, B. F., 1927, Devonshire Churches: The Buildings and Builders, 159 (Article in Serial). SDV124362.

Cresswell mentions attractive stone carved capitals.

Clowes, R. L., 1930 - 1931, William Buckland, Wolborough, 295-5 (Article in Serial). SDV348898.

Inscription to William Buckland who died in 1760 in the floor of the south aisle.

Oman, C.C., 1939, English Medieval Church Plate, 130, 145-6, fig. 132 (Article in Serial). SDV342562.

Palmer, F. W. M., 1942 - 1946, Ancient Glass in St. Mary's, Wolborough (Article in Serial). SDV348903.

F.G.M., 1942 - 1946, Ancient Glass in St. Mary's, Wolborough, 226 (Article in Serial). SDV298601.

Stained glass in east window of five lights, a memorial to Henry Buckley, died 1875. It was possibly removed from Teigngrace in the 16th or 17th century.

Russell, C. A., 1942 - 1946, Ancient Glass in St. Mary's, Wolborough, 261-263 (Article in Serial). SDV348902.

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.

Fryer Cornelius, C., 1951, Mediaeval Effigies and other Sepulchral Memorials in the Parish Churches within a Ten-Mile Radius of Newton Abbot, 233 (Article in Serial). SDV339049.

Against the north wall of the chancel is the Reynell Monument dated 1633. This is a large columned monument of marble and alabaster with effigies of Sir Richard Reynell, his wife, their daughter, Jane, and her infant son.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: South Devon, 311-2 (Monograph). SDV336217.

Descriptions given of the main architectural features and contents including font, screens, lectern, stained glass and a monument. According to Pevsner the contents of the church are more interesting than the architecture.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 442 (Monograph). SDV17562.

The parish church of St. Mary, Wolborough, stands on a hill commanding a view of the Teign estuary.

Devon County Council, 1975, Newton Abbot Town Trails, 59 (Article in Monograph). SDV352459.

Situated on top of a hill which affords views on every side. Originally a Catholic sanctuary it is said to be the last church in Devon after the Restoration at which Mass was celebrated. The church was dedicated to St. Mary in the 14th or 15th century in its present form although there was an earlier church here; the font is Norman. The interior has an ornate wooden screen and beautiful stained glass windows.

Masson Phillips, E. N. (ed) + Worth, R. H., 1979, Church geology, 169 (Article in Serial). SDV145424.

Permian red sandtone from Roundham, Paignton, was used in the building of the church.

Department of Environment, 1983, Newton Abbot, 27 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV298253.

Rendle, R. S., 1986, The Goldsmiths and Silversmiths of Plymouth, Devon, circa 1600-1800, 207 (Article in Serial). SDV14811.

Flagon, 5.5 inches high. By William Parry, 1749

Allan, J., 2001, An Angel from Pinhoe and other Medieval English Alabasters in Devon, 159-181 (Article in Serial). SDV338906.

Sixty six miscellaneous fragments of medieval sculpted alabaster from many different panels are now closely packed in a glass case on the wall of the south porch. The assemblage also includes human bone and fabric.

Woodcock, A., 2009, Honeysuckle and Red Sandstone: Some Characteristics of Romanesque Stonecarving in South Devon, 77-92 (Article in Serial). SDV361655.

Mid to late 12th century stone carving in Ashprington, Blackawton, Buckfastleigh, Cornworthy, Dartmouth (St Petrox), Denbury, Paignton, South Brent, Thurlestone, Ugborough and Wolborough.

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

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

Parish Chruch of St. Mary the Virgin. 15th century, with earlier west tower; south aisle and porch circa 1516. MATERIALS: squared Devon limestone rubble, slate roofs with terracotta ridges. PLAN: rectangular aisled plan, 5-bay nave extending to the chancel and sanctuary; transeptal chapels to east end of nave; projecting west tower with a low 20th century block attached to the north, and projecting south porch. EXTERIOR: the coped parapets to the gables at each end of the aisles and to the sanctuary have moulded kneelers and pierced crosses to the apexes. Some of the windows to the aisles have granite mullions below white freestone tracery. The fenestration is mostly 15th century. Perpendicular, except the windows to transeptal chapels of circa 1710 which have tall 4-light flat-arched windows. The 15th century Perpendicular five-light east window has cusped ogee heads to the main lights, the shallow-pointed 4-light east windows to the parcloses have 15th century panel tracery. North side of the sanctuary is plain with blocked window, the aisles have mainly 4-light panel-traceried windows with traces of mask stops. 2-stage west tower has moulded string courses over each stage, a battlemented parapet, paired belfry louvres to each side which share a rubblestone relieving arch and a 3-light west window with mask stops to the hoodmould over a red gritstone pointed arch to 20th century double doors. The gabled south porch (restored 1885 in memory of Thomas Mackrell) to the centre of the south side has a low, almost round arch of gritstone with moulded stops at plinth level and granite steps. Above the porch is a 16th century flat-arched window with ogee heads to 4 lights below paired quatrefoils. To the east end is a label mould over a restored Tudor-arched door, above is a 16th century tall flat-arched 4-light window with sunk spandrels and head stops to the label mould. Against the south side of the sanctuary is a 19th century single-storey block with a 3-light leaded window. INTERIOR: 6 pointed arches springing from slender Pevsner B columns with polygonal concave main shafts, have intricate carved capitals characteristic of 15th century Devon depicting vine, oak and other foliage with various creatures such as a boar eating acorns, birds pecking berries, an owl, slugs and snails. Traces of a former roof-line in the unplastered rubblestone west wall indicate that the ceiling has been raised. The present planked barrel-vaulted ceiling, substantially restored late 19th century, continuing to the chancel, has mask, flower and leaf bosses to 15 rows of panelling. The wall plate to the chancel is brattished with similar bosses. To the west end of the nave is a high rubblestone arch to the tower which has a stone newel stair to the south-west corner. 19th century polychromatic tiles to the chancel floor. FITTINGS: circa 1518 ornate and elaborately-painted wooden screen (formerly with a rood screen above) spans the east end, and extends forward to enclose the parcloses, with painted figures to wainscotting and Perpendicular panel tracery above: coving missing, some 'especially fine' (Pevsner) carving to the cornice. Norman font of red gritstone with cable and chevron moulding, a rare and notable example of a medieval Gothic brass eagle lectern said to have been hidden in Lang's Copse near Bradley Manor, Old Totnes Road during the Commonwealth, reredos of 1902 depicting the Annunciation, a late 14th century bell probably by John Bird of London and a 1914-1918 war memorial pulpit carved by Herbert Read. Beneath the pulpit is a large fragment of a bomb dropped on the churchyard on 4th May 1941. MONUMENTS: include canopied table tomb to William Balcall, circa 1516. Monument to Sir Richard Reynell (of Forde House, Torquay Road), 1634, with 2 alabaster supine figures, to the front of the tomb is a smaller female figure lying sideways, and to the base is supine baby. The semicircular marble overthrow, supported by marble columns with gilded Corinthian capitals, has cherubs and a crest high above an inscription panel in cartouche. Memorial slabs in the floors of the aisles, of stone and slate, are 17th and 18th century. STAINED GLASS: some fragments of mediaeval glass have been repositioned in the south-west corner, some 19th century glass is by Kempe (with a wheatsheaf signature) including a fine Evangelists scene of 1890. Date listed: 16th July 1949, amended 11th December 1996.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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