Description

NORTH TAWTON
SS 70 SW
7/64 Former Church of St Martin
22.2.67
II*
Former church, now in use as agricultural store. Late C13 with C17 porch, restored
in 1983-4. Sandstone rubble walls. Gable ended Delabole slate roof.
Plan: simple rectangular plan with no division between nave and chancel. Small
porch added on south side in C17. Restored in 1983-4 leaving most of the structure
intact, only the porch being slightly altered.
Exterior: original fenestration is intact and consists of single light cusped
lancets on south side and 3-light lancet with pointed arched heads, central light
taller, at east end and to nave south window right of porch. Single storey porch to
left of centre on south side, originally had an elliptical arched wooden lintel to
outer doorway, this has been rebuilt in brick. The south doorway of the church was
rebuilt in the C17 and has a round-headed ovolo-moulded stone arch. C17 studded
plank door. At the west gable end a restored stone bellcote surmounts the apex with
a ball finial and wrought iron cross. Around the walls are irregularly spaced
putlog holes.
Interior: undecorated common rafter wagon roof survives which was at one time
plastered, it may not be original but is probably before 1600. Above the timbers
are rough pegged wooden boards forming a lining beneath the slates. Crenellated
wall-plates. The windows have deep internal splays with dressed quoins. The walls
inside have old plaster and limewash coating. No internal fittings survive.
This church originally served the ancient parish of Broad Nymet which consisted of
only 42 acres and was subsequently absorbed into North Tawton.
Unaltered small Early English Churches are particularly unusual and it is probaby
due to its change of use that this building survives as such.

Listing NGR: SS7023300945

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17536898

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)