Description

EAST BUDLEIGH HIGH STREET (west side) East
SY 0684
Budleigh
8/88 Church of All Saints
30.6.61
GV I
Parish Church. C13 origins, now all C15 (probably 1420-55) since arms of Bishop
Lacy survive in glass in the north aisle, restored 1884 with new vestry by R.M.
Fulford. Roughly coursed dressed blocks of local conglomerate sandstone with quoins
variously of conglomerate sandstone, red sandstone and Beerstone; original Beerstone
detail, C19 restoration in Bathstone; slate roof, formerly shingles and north aisle
was thatched until the late C18.) Vestry built of Torquay limestone with Bathstone
detail.
The west tower appears to be the oldest part since the aisles butt it. However it
looks C15. The nave with north and south aisles and porch date from Bishop Lacy's
rebuild. The chancel has a lower roof and is set at a slightly different axis to
the nave. Parts may derive from the C13 church. If so it was also renovated in the
C15 and in 1884 it was lengthened and a new vestry was built on the north side.
There is a road turret in the angle of the north aisle and chancel which was
reopened in 1891.
Tall west tower of 3 stages. It has a chamfered plinth, diagonal buttresses to the
west end and set back buttresses to the east; weathered offsets and stop below the
belfry. Embattled parapet. Semi-octagonal stair turret on the north side rising a
little higher than the tower with its own embattled parapet, tiny slit windows and
surmounted by a brass weather cock. If it is the one mentioned in the 1785
churchwardens accounts then it has been restored in the C20. The belfry has square-
headed 2-light windows with cinquefoil heads and hoodmoulds. There are slit windows
to the ringing loft on the north and south sides. On the west side is a doorway
with a 2-centred arch and moulded surround with roll stops. It contains a C19 plank
door with ornate strap hinges. Directly above is a rebuilt 3-light window with
Perpendicular tracery. The tower dripcourse is carried round the bottom of the
window and there is a hoodmould over.
The south aisle has a soffit-moulded eaves cornice and an embattled parapet with
moulded coping. Both are carried round the south porch. All the windows here have
new mullions and Perpendicular tracery but the hoodmoulds and labels carved as heads
are original. They are all 3-lights except that at the east end which has 4-lights.
Most of the labels are very weathered but those at the west end are well-preserved
and one represents a monk with a very pained expression. The porch has a large
restored Beerstone outer arch, a 2-centred arch with richly-moulded surround, and in
the side walls are Beerstone slit windows. To left there is a window and to right
are 2 more separated by a buttress and there are buttress each end. The rood turret
is 3-sided with large Beerstone and red sandstone quoins and contains a slit window
made from a single piece of limestone.
The chancel has C19 fenestration. On the south side there are 2 windows. The left
one is a 2-light window with Perpendicular tracery and hoodmould. The right one is
square-headed, 2 lights with cinquefoil heads and hoodmould. The head actually
looks old but if so it has been reused. Between the 2 is a narrow priests door, a
2-centred arch with hollow chamfered surround with hoodmould. There are setback
buttresses on the east end which are plastered with Bathstone ashlar offsets. The
east end contains a large 3-light window with Decorated tracery and a hoodmould with
ball labels carved as fruiting vine. On the north side there is a lancet with
Decorated tracery in the short distance between the vestry and north aisle. The
gable ends of the chancel, nave and north aisle have ashlar coping and apex crosses.
The eastern end of the vestry is flat roofed with a moulded cornice and parapet, the
taller western end has a pitched roof at right angles to the chancel with half-
hipped roof. On the north side the doorway is a pointed segmental arch and to right
is a trefoil-headed lancet, then a similar twin lancet and on the north side a
triple lancet. The end of the taller part includes a rectangular window with
trefoil-headed tracery either side of a projecting stack with a chimney shaft with
weathered offsets. All the windows of the north aisle are C19 replacements with
Decorated tracery and hoodmoulds.
Good interior: the porch has a flagged floor and stone benches along either side.
High lean-to roof with 4-panel interesecting beam ceiling, moulded beams and central
carved oak boss featuring a rose. The south doorway is a Tudor arch with a moulded
surround enriched with fourleaf decoration and with large roll stops. It contains a
restored but essentially ancient studded oak plank door. Above the door is a large
painted board recording charity bequests from the 1830's.
The roof and structure: the nave has a fine 7-bay ceiled wagon roof. It has moulded
ribs and purlins and good carved oak bosses. The crenellated wall plate is carried
round shield-shaped corbels below each truss-and these are carved with heraldic
badges. The bosses and badges regilded and repainted to a high standard in 1974 by
Peter Stoff of Vienna. The 4-bay ceiled wagon roof over the chancel with moulded
ribs and purlins must be C19. Both aisles have plain ceiled vaults although a
moulded purlin shows along the apex of the north aisle. The tower arch is tall with
a chamfered double arch ring dying into the plain responds. The chancel has a large
Beerstone arch. The responds are moulded exactly the same as the arcades with caps
to the shafts only which are carved with fleur-de-lys and flowers. Each side of the
nave has a 4-bay Beerstone arcade. The piers are moulded (Pevsner's Type B) with
caps to the shafts, which are also carved with a variety of floral and foliate
motifs. The central pier of the northern arcade has an image bracket half way up on
the nave side. Its corbel is carved with a green man motif below a cornice of 4-
leaf decoration. The rood stairs were opened up in 1891 with plain square-headed
doorways top and bottom and contains a squint across between south aisle and
chancel. The north side of the chancel contains a large C19 blind arcade with
double-chamfered arch ring. It once housed the organ console. Alongside to right
is the vestry doorway with a flat trefoil-arched head. Halfway along the south side
is the C15 trefoil-headed piscina marking the position of the altar before the
chancel was lengthened. The walls are whitewashed but probably what were C16
painted frescoes were discovered on the aisle walls in the C19. The traces of
ancient colour depicted an arcade of columns in crude perspective with a cherub and
inscription (described by T.N. Brushford). The floor is flagged and contains some
old graveslabs. The oldest is the remarkable late C16 graveslab set in a prime
position in the nave in memory of Joan Raleigh, widow of Otto Gilbert and first wife
of Walter, father of Sir Walter Raleigh. It is inscribed with a fleuree cross on a
pedestal framed by an inscription done in mirror writing. It reads: 'ORATE PRO AIA
JOHANNE RALEYH OXTS WALTRI RAILE ARMIG QUE OBIIT X DIE MENSI JUNII ANO D...' (The
year has worn away).
Furniture and fittings: in the chancel the sanctuary is lined on the sides with C18
fielded-panel wainscotting but the rest of the chancel furniture was replaced in
Gothic style in the 1930's. The oak chancel screen is C15 although much repaired.
It is relatively plain without fan-coving. It is 5 bays, 2 each side of a doorway.
The wainscotting with blind arcading is C19 replacement work but the windows appear
mostly original; square-headed with slender Perpendicular tracery (Pevsner's A-
type). The crenellated wall plate is probably C19. Ornate late C19 oak pulpit
designed by Fellowes Prynne, carved by Harry Hems of Exeter, and erected in memory
of R. H. Lipscomb, steward of the Rolle Estate, who died in 1892. It is an
octagonal drum pulpit. On each corner are small saintly figures, one on top of the
other with nodding ogee canopies. Each side has a Biblical scene delciately carved
in high relief with canopies and undercut tracery and under the top a cornice of
carved foliage. The stem has blind cusped panels each side. The Gothic sytle
lectern may be as late as C20.
The glory of the church is its complete set of C16 oak benches of high quality
workmanship. All are slightly different giving rise to the impression that they
were acquired over a period rather than being a single scheme. The frontals and
backs of each set have blind ogee-headed arcades. Most of the bench ends have a
frame of wreathed foliage with small urn stops around a carved panel. All deserve
attention, but the space here does not permit individual description. Examples
include; the Raleigh pew dated 1537 and featuring a shield (the arms are defaced)
with greyhound supporters and above a helmet in profile with antler crests; a very
early representation of a North American native; a wool merchants pew featuring
shears, comb, bowl of wool balls and Bishop Blaize; a C16 ship riding the sea with a
castle, possibly Plymouth Barbican, in the corner, and others bearing arms, symbols
of trade, individual profiles including some obvious characatures. It is a unique
series, Gothic in style but none with tracery and wholly secular without a single
sacred emblem. The C19 reseating created more space which has been made up with C20
benches, their ends carved to complement the originals. The benches contain a fine
set of 250 embroidered kneelers made between 1974-76.
The font is probably early C15, contemporary with the Bishop Lacy rebuild. Built of
Beerstone it has an octagonal bowl, each face with a sunken quatrefoil panel with a
floriated centre. There is a band of carved foliage around the base and the stem
has blind cinquefoil-headed arcade around over a moulded base. It stands on a C20
2-step plinth. There is a C20 timber screen across the tower made as a copy of the
chancel screen and above that is the organ which was moved from the chancel and
rebuilt here in 1967. The tower itself was inaccessible at time of survey.
Memorials: there are no monuments in the chancel but, north of the altar hangs a
large painting of the Virgin and Child in Pre-Raphaelite style signed E.Aveling
Green, 1900. A painted board with the royal arms also hangs on the north wall of
the chancel. According to the churchwardens accounts it was painted (or repainted)
in 1724. Over the north arcade are white marble monuments on grey-black grounds;
one in memory of Frances Yeates (d.1816) with pedimented head over a cornice, the
other in memory of Anna Millar (d.1817) which has a rosette in each concave corner.
Most of the monuments are found in the south aisle. They are all C19 and mostly
white marble on grey-black ground; the best are those similar two in memory of
Samuel Waley (d.1819) and John Hine (d.1859). Also a good Gothic style white marble
memorial to George Compton Read (d.1886) his wife Maria (d.1837) their thier
children Chandos and Catherine: the surround stands well proud of the plaque and
features on ornate cusped arched enriched with crockets and a large poppyhead finial
and carried on half-engaged columns with carved foliate caps. Also here and
spreading to the rear of the nave are a number of brass plaques to members of the
Torriano Family; Genoan but chose to live in East Budleigh and for several
generations fought in the English army. The north aisle has a notable white marble
plaque on grey-black grounds, the best is the memorial to Henry Flanke (d.1810)
which includes a framing lamp and is signed Kingwill of Sidmouth. Some of the C19
stained glass was designed by Fulford as part of the 1884 renovation and were made
by Drake; and there is some early C20 stained glass in Art Nouveau style in the
chancel.
A good if unremarkable C15 Perpendicular-church boldy situated at the top of East
Budleigh Village High Street. It appears to be basically a one period church as
renovated in 1884 with a longer chancel. The nave roof has good C15 carved bosses.
The church however is most remarkable for its complete set of early C16 oak benches
with their wonderful secular early C16 bench ends which are so evocative of the
families and occupations of East Budleigh at the time.
Sources: Devon C19 Church Project. Lilian Sheppard, All Saints, East Budleigh, A
Guide to the Church, (1978); This is well written and illustrated. T.N. Brushford,
The Church of All Saints, East Budleigh, Parts 1, Trans. Devon Assoc. Vol 23 (1891),
pp 234-305; and Part 2, Trans. Devon Assoc. Vol 26 (1894), pp 288-290. W. Scutt,
East Budleigh and Hayes Barton (1936)

Listing NGR: SY0661684928

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17526078

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.

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