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Summary

St Thomas's parish church at Mamhead built in the 13th century with 15th century additions and later alterations

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1170048: CHURCH OF ST THOMAS

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 4997
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX98SW/2
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 85967

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (XII to XIX - 1200 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Cresswell, B. F., 1912 - 1913, Notes on the Churches of the Deanery of Kenn, Devon, 122-9 (Article in Serial). SDV303683.

Included in a survey of the churches of the Deanery of Kenn.

Fryer Cornelius, C., 1946, Ancient Devon Parish Churches within a Ten Mile Radius of Newton Abbot, 123-52 (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, 81-9 (Article in Serial). SDV312247.

Department of Environment, 1952, St Thomas RD, 85 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV129122.

Church of St Thomas composed of red stone. Remains of old screen. Two hagioscopes. Remains of 15th century arcade found in 1914. William Temple, friend of Boswell was rector in 1766. Huge yew tree in churchyard.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 431 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Parish Church, St Thomas the Apostle, stands in the park. In the main a 15th century building. The chancel was rebuilt about 1830 by the Newmans, who also built the south transept as the Mamhead Pew.

Department of Environment, 1988, Mamhead (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337182.

Church of St Thomas. Parish Church. Probably 13th century or earlier in origin with surviving early windows in the chancel, 15th century 3 bay north aisle, south transept (now the baptistry) probably 13th century or 14th century but much altered, 15th century tower. Red sandstone and grey limestone rubble and red sandstone dressings and slate roofs. Plan: Nave, chancel west tower, south transept and porch, 3-bay north aisle, north vestry. Probably a 13th century cruciform plan before 15th century alterations added the north aisle and tower. Sequence of 19th century restorations; one before 1830 attributable to Salvin on stylistic grounds; reseating of 1854 with Mackintosh as architect; conservative restoration of 1915. Exterior: Chancel with a 3-light 19th century traceried east window; round headed, probably 12th century north window with a deep internal splay, slightly pointed 13th century lancet on the south side and 15th and 16th century 2-light square-headed cusped window. The north aisle has a 3-light east window with segmental arched lights, heavily repaired, and a 19th century north vestry with diagonal buttresses with repaired square-headed 2-light east window and a 3-light 19th century north window with an eccentrically-detailed chimney. The south transept has diagonal buttresses,a square-headed 3-light 19th century east window with cusped lights and a 19th century Perpendicular 3-light south window, the nave has a 2-light uncusped window to the left of the gabled south porch which has a rounded chamfered outer door. Battlemented west tower with a polygonal south-east stair turret and diagonal buttresses. The west face has a chamfered granite rounded west doorway with a heavily-repaired 3-light Perpendicular west window. 2-light belfry openings on all 4 faces with additional 2-light windows on the north and south faces. Interior: Unplastered walls; chamfered chancel arch on corbels, plain tower arch; apparently rebuilt arch into south transept; 3-bay 15th century double-chamfered north arcade with moulded capitals, the piers and capitals roughened as a key for plaster in which the piers were encased in the early 19th century. 19th century ceiled wagon to the nave and aisle with moulded ribs and carved bosses; canted ceiled wagon to the chancel with ribs and bosses, painted with stars. Flat panelled ceiling with moulded ribs and bosses to the tower undoubtedly by Salvin. The chancel has hagioscopes from the aisle and transept and is rather plain with 1909 timber reredos carved with the crucifixion. 1914 timber drum pulpit with traceried panels and figures in niches; timber eagle lectern with memorial date of 1904. 19th century or recut octagonal font with a carved bowl, remains of rood screen wainscot used as a screen to the south transept. Roodloft stair doorway to the former loft in the south transept, rebated for a door. 19th century tower screen; nave benches of 1854 with doors and carved panels. A triptych in the north aisle in an Italian Renaissance style may be Edwardian in date. Monuments: Early 18th century wall monument to Mary Leach, died 1715, in the chancel with an open pediment. Large 19th century wall monuments in the north aisle, commemorating Sir Robert Lydstone Newman, died 1854, with a cusped arch with black marble shafts and a portrait medallion. Gothic frame to wall monuments in nave to Rt. Hon. Wilmot Vaughan, Earl of Lisburne, died 1820. Late 17th century slate in the chancel commemorates Peter Balle, died 1680. Glass: An interesting collection. Fragments of medieval glass, including 13th or 14th century grisaille, in the south window in the chancel. Some unusual armorial glass in the north aisle, commemorating the Earls of Lisburne with memorial dates of 1755, 1800 and 1805. Early 19th century roundels, probably reset, in the westernmost window of the nave. East window in the transept, erected 1852, signed with the mark of Thomas Willement; west window of north aisle with memorial date of 1894 signed A.L. Moore of London. Armorial glass in the tower window with an inscription panel "Hanc fenestram ab ipso tinctam Tho Willement dono dedit 1831", the date at which Willement was providing the glass and plumbing at the adjacent Mamhead House (now Dawlish College, q.v.). Other details: LBS No 85967.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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