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Summary

15th century church, restored in 1875. Likely to have been a Saxon church on this site. Tower dates to 1250, rest of the early surviving fabric of the church dates to around 1450. Fine 15th century rood screen and late Norman font.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1166001: CHURCH OF ST MARY

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5117
• National Monuments Record: SX88SW32
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 899623
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX88SW/10
• Old Listed Building Ref (I): 84572

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FONT (XII - 1151 AD (Between) to 1170 AD (Between))
• PARISH CHURCH (XII to XIX - 1151 AD (Between) to 1875 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Fine rood screen of 15th century across the church. Groining missing.

Bligh Bond, F., 1903, Devonshire Screens and Rood Lofts. Part II, 463 (Article in Serial). SDV6113.

Thompson, A. H., 1913, Church Architecture in Devon, 470-478 (Article in Serial). SDV15387.

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.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 408 (Monograph). SDV17562.

The Parish Church of St. Mary is a typical fully-aisled building of 15th century date with granite arcades. The plain, unbuttressed tower may be older. The font with rood carvings is probably 13th century. Contains 15th century rood screen. Restored 1873-1875.

Department of Environment, 1986, Hennock, 95 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV299469.

Church of St. Mary. 15th century, restored in 1875. Stone rubble with granite ashlar buttresses and tower. Slated roof. Nave, chancel, north and south aisles, west tower and south porch three light perpendicular windows, heavily restored, to aisles and chancel, the north and south chancel windows differing in having two lights with a quatrefoil light in the head; the south chancel window seems less renewed.
See List for full details.

Lough, A. G., 1986, St. Mary's Church, Hennock (Leaflet). SDV311524.

There has probably been a church on this site for over a thousand years. The old name of the village was Hainoc. It is mentioend in the Domesday Book.
The first Saxon church was most likely of oak timber. The present font, which is of late Norman work about 1170, no doubt belonged to this earlier church.
The tower may be dated about 1250, and the rest of the church, including the screens and ceilure (decorated ceiling over the rood screen) about 1450.
The granite piers are monoliths.
The rood screen was pertially restored by Herbert Read Ltd of Exeter in 1956. The rood (crucifix) and figures of our Lady and St. John were restored to the screen at this time. The paintings on the panels of the screen are original and were restored by Miss Anna Hulbert 1977-83 with the help of grants from the council of care for churches.
The ceilure is one of the finest in the country. It was completely dismantled and restored by Herbert Read and Company in 1975.
The stained glass window in the north aisle depicting angels is 15th century. The stained glass window in the south aisle chapel is 19th century.
A coloured plaque on the west wall commemorates the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
There are four bells which need rehanging. There is an apollo reed organ made by Rushworth and Dreaper. It was placed in the church in 1954.
The staircase to the former rood loft has gone, but the blocked up doorways below and above can be seen in the south aisle. In the upper doorway there stands the figure of a little angel with a trumpet. This figure was probably previously on the canopy of a restoration pulpit 17th century.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 479 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Church of St Mary. C15th, restored 1875. Nave, chancel, North and South aisles, West Tower and South porch. The church contains a late Norman limestone font which has a square carved bowl on a round pier with four detached shafts and a moulded base.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

Depicted on the modern mapping.

English Heritage, 2015, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV357602.

SX 8380 HENNOCK CHURCH ROAD (west side), Hennock 10/125 Church of St Mary - 23.8.1955 GV I
Parish church. C15, restored 1875. Stone rubble with granite ashlar buttresses and tower. Slated roof. Nave, chancel, north and south aisles, west tower and south porch 3-light Perpendicular windows, heavily restored, to aisles and chancel, the north and south chancel windows differing in having 2 lights with a quatrefoil light in the head; the south chancel window seems less renewed. Both aisles have chamfered granite corbel tables. The aisles and chancel have buttresses flanking their corners, and the north aisle.has in addition butresses between the windows. South porch is similarly buttressed, and has a moulded cornice and battlemented parapet. 2-centred arched doorways, inside and out, the outer doorway moulded, the inner one chamfered. C20 ceiling to porch with centre boss of 1908, designed by R M Fulford and executed by Harry Hems. Plain 2-stage tower, the upper stage slightly narrower, being finished with an oversailing battlemented parapet pinnacle on each corner of battlements. 2-centred arched doorway in west face, with 3-light restored Perpendicular window above. Belfry has paired openings with pointed heads in each face; the east face has a smaller pair of openings for the ringing chamber. Interior: nave and chancel have 4 granite arches each side with wave-moulded piers and 4-centred heads. Plain pointed tower arch on hollow-moulded impost blocks. Doorways with pointed arches at top and bottom of tower stairs. In south wall of south aisle top and bottom doorways to former rood stairs (blocked 1875, the turret having been removed). Waggon roofs with elaborately ornamented 'glory' (ceilure) over rood position; this was redecorated with new columns in 1980s. Fittings: late Norman limestone font having square carved bowl on round pier with detached shafts at corners and moulded base. Perpendicular rood screen across nave and aisles, the loft missing; also simpler parclose screens. Much ancient colour including dado figures, cleaned and retouched by Anna Hulbert in 1980s. Some medieval stained glass survives in the head of the second window from the east in the north aisle. Some good C17 ledger slabs.
Bells: 4 bells, treble and third being C15, tenor 1637 by Thomas Pennington of Exeter, second 1904 by Mears and Stainbank of London. The frame, which is old, stands on a floor of plain, thick beams, and has large, curved downward braces. They may be medieval, but there are signs that the frame has been reconstructed. Sources: Church guide by A G Lough, 1961; John Stabb, Some Old Devon Churches, 1911.
Listing NGR: SX8301880923

Farnell, A. + Coles, C., 2016, St Mary’s Church, Hennock, Devon. Results of an archaeological watching brief (Report - Survey). SDV359785.

Removal of topsoil in an area of unused graveyard, to the south-west of the church exposed no evidence for medieval buildings along the frontage of Bell Lane and no evidence to indicate that this part of the graveyard had previously been used for burials. Natural subsoil was exposed across the western (upslope) side of site. To the east, an early 20th-century deposit was exposed but not removed during the works. The presence of a kiln trivet in this deposit is a mystery as no historical reference has been found to pottery manufacture of that date in Hennock.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV6037 - BELL (XIV to XVII - 1400 AD to 1637 AD)
• FDV6038 - EFFIGY (XVI to XVII - 1600 AD to 1699 AD?)

Associated Events

• EDV7076 - Land Adjacent to St Mary’s Church, Hennock, Devon: Results of an Archaeological Watching Brief (Ref: ACD1400)

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