Description

WOODLEIGH VILLAGE CENTRE
SX 75 NW
5/126
Church of St Mary
26.1.67
GV II*
Anglican parish church. Basic C14 plan, rebuilt after a fire in 1649 and much
restored 1891. Slatestone with granite dressings, slate roof, clay ridges.
West tower, nave, north and south transepts, south porch, chancel. Unbuttressed
tower in 2 stages with slight offset, C19 embattled parapet on corbel table;
double chamfered arch to C19 door under 3-light C19 Perpedicular window. South
and north faces have slit in lower stage, and bell stage has shouldered louvred
light to each face. Nave south side has a C19 three-light and C14 three-light
incusped window either side of gabled porch with apex cross and slate sundial of
1707 over plain round arched doorway, to pointed inner doorway with remains of
ware mould; Good arch-braced roof with moulded purlin and central principal.
Nave has chamfered granite eaves course. South transept has 3-light round-
headed under square stopped hood mould, above which a recessed slate slab with
inscription R 1647 C, slit above; east wall has 3-light incusped to flat arch,
as nave. Chancel with lower roof line and without gable coping, has 3-light
cusped to square head; east end, with angle buttresses in 2 offsets, has 3-light
C19 Perpendicular under a stone consecration panel dated AD 1891; north side a
2-light in square head. North transept is rendered, has 1891 doorway, a 3-light
Perpendicular window, and a small cusped light set low. Nave north wall is
plain, and the building is set into the slope on this side. Stack to north
transept ridge. Interior: tower is unplastered, heavy unmoulded arch to nave
which is on a tiled floor with plain walls, hollow mould rere-arches to windows,
C19 ceiled barrel roof. Low, unmoulded pointed arch to south transept on wood
block floor, C19 barrel roof, plain walls; north transept through higher plain
arch, part tiled floor, barrel ceiling, granite segmental arch to door to east.
Chancel, up one step, on tiles, plain walls, pointed ceiled barrel; 4 marble
steps to altar with dossal. Fittings and monuments: octagonal Transitional
font bowl in granite, two pointed sunk panels to each face; C19 benches, Eagle
lectern, pulpit and granite base, 5 wall monument, 7 suspended oil lamps. South
transept has good early C20 carved wooden altar. In chancel a C19 piscina, but
C14 Easter Sepulchre serving as enclosure to monument to Sir Thomas Smyth,
Rector, 1492-1527. Tomb chest in ogee-arched recess, figures of St Peter and St
Paul below four mutilated figures; scroll with abbreviated Latin inscription.
Altar is flanked by Decalogue painted on ogee-headed panels in good C19 detail;
also a faience painted panel in alabaster surround, 1898, to Zoe Irene Suther-
land Sands. Gothick white marble tablet of 1850; suspended oil lamps, but
electricity also fitted. (Pevsner, N; South Devon 1952; Slader,J M;
The Churches of Devon; 1968).

Listing NGR: SX7378648842

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17533216

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

• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)