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Summary

St Michael's was rebuilt in 1870-1, apart from the tower which, although much altered, is a relic of the late 11th century priory that once stood here. Part of the monastic buildings were converted into a mansion, now north-west of the church, by Richard Duke after the reformation. The tower is oddly placed at the eastern end of the south aisle.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 4856
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY08NE/21
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SY08NE17

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (Built, XI to XIX - 1001 AD (Between) to 1871 AD (Between))

Full description

Pengelly, W., 1876, Devonshire Gleanings from 'Notes and Queries', 714 (Article in Serial). SDV56474.

Reichel, O. J., 1898, The Domesday Churches of Devon, 311 (Article in Serial). SDV863.

It is presumed that the church of Mont St Michel had an oratory here at the time of the Domesday Survey.

Reichel, O. J., 1900-1901, Foreign Churches and their Properties in Devon, 252-254 (Article in Serial). SDV6502.

During the Middle Ages Otterton belonged to the church of St Michael's of Monte Tuba in France.

Grimaldi, E. C., 1938, Some notes on the history of Otterton (Record Office Collection). SDV113588.

Reichel, O. J., 1939, The Church and the Hundreds in Devon, 340 (Article in Serial). SDV15424.

Reichel uses this church as an example to show that there was no connection between the early organisation of the hundred and the church.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: South Devon, 218 (Monograph). SDV336217.

A large insensitive church, mainly of 1871.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1954, SY08NE17 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV117085.

Site visit 19th November 1953. St Michael's Church is on the site of a Benedictine alien priory. Within the present church, which was completely rebuilt in the 19th century with the exception of the tower, is a wall plaque listing the priors of the monastic establishment and the vicars and patrons of the church. It is suggested that the original church served both monastic and secular purposes. The suggestion, however, that the church was divided into two with the tower between the two is considered unlikely. It is considered that it would, as is more usual, for the church to have been sub-divided internally. The date of the tower is uncertain and is not positively identifiable as contemporary with the priory.

Copeland, G. W., 1963, Proceedings at the 101st annual meeting, 21 (Article in Serial). SDV115766.

The parish church of St Michael, Otterton, has been rebuilt except for the bulk of the tower which is a relic of the late 11th century priory, a dependency of Mont st Michel in Normandy. Part of the monastic buildings were converted into a mansion, now north-west of the church, by Richard Duke after the reformation, now converted to flats. There are five memorial brasses in the church to the Duke family. The church tower at the east end of the building was formerly central between the monastic church at the east and the parochial church at the west. It retains a fine arch in the body of the church and traces of 12th century work.

Harrison, E. M., 1984, Otterton. A Devon Village (Monograph). SDV113587.

The old church was demolished, apart from the tower, in 1870. It was rebuilt by Lady Louisa Rolle, at her own expense. The architect was Benjamin Ferry and it was built by Henry Burridge from Sidmouth. The 15th century font was replaced in the new church. When the church was demolished church burials in the Duke vaults were reinterred in the churchyard and in 1880 some of the church silver was sold.

Laithwaite, J. M. W., 1986, Devon Religious Houses Survey: Otterton Priory (Archive - Survey). SDV366136.

The church was rebuilt 1870-1 apart from the early medieval tower. A plan of the old church, made for a faculty petition of 1869, shows much the same arrangement of the early medieval tower oddly placed at east end of the south aisle. This has led Grimaldi and others to argue that the priory church originally adjoined the tower to the north-east. The discovery of some flat tombstones in this area in the 18th century (reported by Polwhele) has been regarded as supporting evidence. The tower itself has been much rebuilt and early features are set in 19th century masonry. However, an old, steeply pointed, double-chamfered arch survives on the north side, leading into the chancel, and this cuts into the base of a round-arched opening (now blocked) above. On the south side is a less sharply pointed arch. Marks on the outside show that a building formerly abutted this at right angles, but it must have been replaced at an early date; since Spreat's drawing of the old church shows a late medieval second aisle with a roof parallel to the tower. The east and west walls of the latter have no openings, nor are any shown on the 1869 plan.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, HE, 8,, 9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV113589.

Department of Environment, 1987, Otterton, 102 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV113585.

Church of St Michael. Late C11 tower, though much altered, is a relic of a priory of that date which belonged to the benedictine abbey of Mont St Michel, Normandy. The rest is a rebuild of 1870-1, done at the expense of Lady Rolle, with Benjamin Ferrey the architect, Henry Burridge the builder, and carvings by Harry Hems of Exeter. It contains a C15 font. The tower is built of roughly coursed blocks of pale brown-coloured local conglomerate sandstone; the rest is built of coursed blocks of rock-faced Torquay limestone with yellow sandstone detail. Interior is lined with Beerstone. Roof of red tiles including fishscale bands. The plan is wholly that of 1870. Originally the tower was central. By the C19 it was the east end. See doe list for full details.

Swete, J. (ed. Gray T. + Rowe, M.), 1998, Travels in Georgian Devon. The Illustrated Journals of the Reverend John Swete. Vol. 2 (Monograph). SDV341167.

Swete describes Otterton as 'a very pleasant village'. The mansion house and the church stand adjacent to one another on rising ground above the stream. There was, he says, supposed to be a passage from the nunnery that formerly stood on the site of the present house into the chancel of the church, which was said to have projected from the eastern end of the church beyond the tower. His sketch shows the church in 1795, before it was rebuilt (DRO, 564M/F8/13).

Fletcher, M., 2002, St Michael's Church (Personal Comment). SDV113590.

Archaeological recording was undertaken during rebuilding of a wall in 1999 but no report has yet been received.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2023 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Parish Church of St Michael. Tower possibly 11th century; possibly part of former Priory church. Remainder of church rebuilt 1870-71. Listed Grade II*.
SMR.

Ordnance Survey, 2024, Mastermap 2024 (Cartographic). SDV365834.

St Michael's Church is marked as being on the site of a Priory.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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