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Summary

A 14th or early 15th century church which appears to be a rebuild of an early church and which, in turn, was largely rebuilt in the late 19th century. It is the only church dedicated to St Alban in Devon.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1326286: CHURCH OF ST ALBANS

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5054
• National Monuments Record: SX49NE 13
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX49NE/13
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 94250

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (Built, Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Chanter, J. F., 1910, Christianity in Devon before AD 909, 490 (Article in Serial). SDV870.

Cresswell, B. F., 1920, The Fabric and Features of Interest in the Churches of the Deanery of Okehampton (Un-published). SDV344056.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: North Devon, 50-51 (Monograph). SDV336196.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 330 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Parish Church of St Alban.14th century church, rebuilt in 1871. South doorway has small traces of Norman work. The only church dedicated to St Alban.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954 - 1955, Devon Parish Notes, 132-3 (Article in Serial). SDV231757.

There is apparently some doubt about the dedication. St John the Baptist has also been cited.

Williams, H. F. F., 1959-1961, The Rectors of Beaworthy, 116-9 (Article in Serial). SDV231758.

The only dedication to St Alban in Devon. Restored in 1872.

Department of Environment, 1987, Beaworthy, 3 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV20230.

Church of St Albans. The main fabric of the church dates from a rebuild of 1871 although the base of the tower is medieval. Slate and limestone rubble walls with limestone dressings. Gable end slate roof to nave and chancel with decorative C19 ridge tiles. Conical slate roof with sprocketted eaves to tower. Plan comprises nave and chancel with west tower and south porch. See doe list for full details.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 161 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Exeter Archaeology, 2004, Summary Archaeological Assessment of the Proposed Site of the new Primary School, Halwill Junction (Report - Assessment). SDV1968.

Walls, S., 2006, Beaworthy War Memorial Plaque in the Parish Church (Ground Photograph). SDV356248.

Steinmetzer, M., 2017, St Alban’s, Beaworthy, Devon: Monitoring and Recording (Report - Watching Brief). SDV360647.

The observations and recording at St Albans have provided an incredibly rare opportunity to expose elements of the floor plan of the earlier church. The excavations have exposed the remains of the Norman church, while a rapid assessment of the exterior elevations has provided important and new information about the structural development of the building and illustrated how the structural development of parish churches at this time can be incredibly complex.
Groundworks for the new drainage uncovered the possible remains of the earlier Norman church. No evidence of the Anglo-Saxon church was uncovered during the works, and the earliest building phase has been dated to the 12th-13th century on the basis of the architectural fragments re-used in the south door.
Work on the north side uncovered the foundation of the northern nave wall. This consisted of clay bonded limestone rubble and was identical to the foundations of the tower. The foundations of the three buttresses, truncated to varying degrees by later graves, consisted of sandstone and limestone rubble with occasional slate packing and bonded with light to mid-greyish yellow lime mortar.
Finally, close examination of the eastern foundation exposed during the works revealed that,
unlike the foundations on the south and north side, which retained their original medieval
foundations, it had been underpinned with concrete.
The recent work suggests that the current church was completely rebuilt sometime in the 14th or early 15th century.

Ordnance Survey, 2023, Mastermap 2023 (Cartographic). SDV365227.

St Albans Church marked.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7474 - Archaeological monitoring and recording at St Alban’s, Beaworthy, Devon (Ref: 17-16)

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