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Summary

A parochial chapel is said to have existed in Exminster before the Conquest. The present church dates to the 14th century. Fragments of reused Roman tile have been found reused in the walls.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1334270: CHURCH OF ST MARTIN

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 4991
• National Monuments Record: SX98NW41
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX98NW/4
• Old Listed Building Ref (I): 85452

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (XIV to XIX - 1301 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Reichel, O. J., 1898, The Domesday Churches of Devon, 310 (Article in Serial). SDV863.

A parochial chapel is said to have existed in Exminster before the conquest. It was afterwards given to Battle Abbey.

Cresswell, B. F., 1912 - 1913, Notes on the Churches of the Deanery of Kenn, Devon, 87-95 (Article in Serial). SDV303683.

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

Reichel, O. J., 1939, The Church and the Hundreds in Devon, 336-7 (Article in Serial). SDV15424.

Alleged to have been founded before 909 (for explanation see W. Alvington SX74SW/7).

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.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: South Devon, 166 (Monograph). SDV336217.

The south-east chapel has an exceptional wagon-roof built in 1633 with plaster figures of the apostles. The west tower has diagonal buttresses and stair turret.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 395 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Exminster Parish Church of St Martin. Mostly of 14th century date, with later windows inserted.

Department of Environment, 1968, St Thomas RD, 54 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV292614.

Perpendicular. Red stone embattled tower with turret. Old clock. Two 15th century screens, one with modern top. Rood screen door. Jacobean altar rails; 17th century plaster ceiling to south aisle with figures of saints, angels etc, 17th century monuments. In churchyard shaft of old cross and fluted iron lamppost with encircling wreathes to hold oil lamp.

Pearce, S. M., 1982, Church and Society in South Devon, AD 350-700, 1-18 (Article in Serial). SDV336077.

An arc of walling on the S side of the churchyard may represent the earliest surviving length of churchyard wall, hinting that the church originally stood in a circular enclosure.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/DS, 12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV343501.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, 6-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV292628.

Devon Religious Houses Survey, 1986-87, Devon Religious Houses Survey 1986/87. Preliminary Assessment Form. Exminster (Un-published). SDV366900.

Reichel argues that there was a pre-conquest minster at Exminster and it is listed by Knowles and Hadcock on place name evidence. They suggest it may have been an important church with resident parochial priests but no religious community as such.
There were said to be monastic remains to the rear of the vicarage but this seems doubtful. The building here is a 14th century priest’s house.
It is suggested that the priority here should be in assessing the status of the church. The location of the pre-conquest church is unlikely to be discovered except by excavation.

Department of Environment, 1987, Exminster, 28-9 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV301731.

Parish Church of St Martin. Late C14 and late C15, restoration of 1841-2 including rebuilding of south porch, further restoration of 1856. West tower brecchia ashlar; south aisle brecchia and freestone rubble, west wall rebuilt in coursed stone; nave and NE vestry brecchia brought to course; porch snecked stone; slate roofs. Plan of west tower, nave, chancel, 5 bay south aisle (1 bay to the chancel), south porch and north east vestry. Perpendicular, the aisle probably late C15. South chancel chapel refurbished as the Peamore Aisle in 1631, chancel restored 1841-2, Peamore Aisle restored 1856. See DOE list for full details.

Exeter Archaeology, 2004, Archaeological Assessment of Land adjacent to The Manor, Exminster, 5 (Report - Assessment). SDV81579.

Allan, J. + Durrant, J. + Taylor, R. T., 2008, Roman Tiles in Exminster Church, 117-126 (Article in Serial). SDV344773.

Fragments of reused Roman tile including box tile from a hypocaust, roofing slates and building stone in the form of weathered grey sandstone have been identified in the walls of the church. These are mostly in the earlier phase of south external wall, thought to date from the late 13th or early 14th century. They are thought to represent reuse of an available material rather than being incorporated for ideological reasons. The materials are thought to derive from a Roman building(s) nearby perhaps in the area of Milbury Farm.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4772 - Analysis of Roman Tile in Exminster Parish Church
• EDV2416 - Devon Religious Houses Survey

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