Description

WALKHAMPTON
SX 57 SW
13/118 Church of St. Mary
21.3.67
GV I

Parish church. Circa late C15 and C16 with addition of 1832. Walls are of granite
rubble with granite ashlar to the lower and upper stages of the tower, and the south
aisle. Gable ended slate roofs.
Plan: nave,chancel, north and south aisles, west tower and south porch. It is
possible that the nave and chancel are pre-C15 but there is no evidence of pre-
Perpendicular work. The north aisle is the earlier dating from the Circa late C15
and the south porch and tower may be contemporary. The south aisle is considerably
later and probably post-reformation. The vestry was added at the east end of the
north aisle in 1832 in memory of William Alexander brother of the then curate and
son of.D.A. Alexander, the architect of Dartmoor Prison. The Church was restored in
1860.
Imposing 3-stage battlemented tower with very tall octagonal crocketted pinnacles.
Diagonal buttresses. Large 2-light belfry openings with simple tracery. Richly
moulded acute 4-centred arched west doorway with arched hoodmould built of Roborough
stone. Large west window of 3-lights with Perpendicular tracery. Above the belfry
opening on this side a gargoyle projects on a very long neck. Pentagonal stair
turret on north-west corner of tower with small bulls-eye lights. The north aisle
has 4 windows, all original of 3-lights with cinquefoiled heads - the central light
slightly taller; alternating with buttresses. Small gabled vestry at the east end
of the aisle re-uses a narrow 2-light window with curvilinear tracery, possibly from
the chancel. The east window and east window on the south aisle (which is smaller)
are both 3-light with Perpendicular tracery of Roborough stone and granite jambs.
Beside the south aisle window is a wall memorial of 1802 to Peter Holmes and his 2
wives. The south aisle has 4 3-light very late Perpendicular windows with
roundheaded lights. The aisle incorporates a corner buttress of the 1 storey south
porch which pre-dates it and has a heavily moulded 4-centred arched doorway of
Roborough stone with a quatrefoil in each spandrel and square hoodmould.
Interior: The south doorway is granite heavily moulded with 4-centred arch. The
Church had the plaster stripped off its internal walls in 1912 which unfortunately
caused the destruction of some painted scripture and the removal of several C17 wall
memorials, one of which, to Richard Attwell, is lying in the churchyard.
The 2 arcades differ significantly:- that to the north aisle is of Roborough stone
with Pevsner A-type piers, moulded cup capitals and bases, and double-chamfered
depressed 4-centred arches. The south arcade is also 4 bays but starts to the east
of the porch - which pre-dates it and continues across the chancel. It. is
constructed of granite with similar arches but slightly different piers and capitals
to the north arcade. Good tower arch moulded and rebated in moulded surround it
rests on corbel heads representing a man and a woman. No chancel arch but vestiges
of a springing suggest it once existed. At the east end of the north aisle is a low
arched recess into which a cinquefoil-headed piscina has been inserted - possibly a
vestige of an earlier building.
The wagon roofs are all ceiled and probably C19 or C20. The font cover, pulpit,
reredos. reading desk and choir stalls are of quite a good quality and were made by
Rev. Charles Walker who died 1909. The stained glass is C20.
Probably C15 octagonal font of Roborourgh stone with raised shields on panels of
bowl.
Despite a relatively plain interior this Church has not suffered greatly from
restoration externally and has a very considerable landscape value occupying an
elevated position which makes it prominent.on all sides from some distance. Its
isolated position, away from the village and formerly with only the Church house in
close proximity, is a matter for some conjecture but adds to its interest.

Listing NGR: SX5366570150

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17527575

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

• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings