Description

MERTON MERTON
SS 5212
22/149 Church of All Saints
4.10.60
GV II*

Parish church. C15, restored in 1875 by Medley Fulford, screens and fittings the
work of Harry Hems. Rubble walls small squared blocks to north aisle. Gable ended
slate roof.
Plan: nave, north aisle, south transept, west tower and south porch. The Norman font
is evidence of the church's early origins but it is substantially a Perpendicular
rebuilding although the difference in stonework between aisle and nave suggests a
discrepancy in date. The south porch was described as "modern" in the mid C19 and
was probably built or rebuilt in circa 1840. The restoration included renewing the
roofs over the chancel and transept, replacing the fittings and probably building the
vestry onto the east end of the north chapel.
Exterior: Tall 3 stage west tower with set back buttresses, crenellations and obelisk
pinnacles. 2-light mullion and transomed cinquefoiled belfry lights. The eastern
belfry light is of an unusual form consisting of 2 small cusped lights below a larger
opening with circles in squares to either side. Stairs run up north tower wall lit
by very small quatrefoils. Very large 4-light C19 Decorated style window. C15 2-
centred arch west doorway heavily moulded with arched hoodmould. North aisle windows
are all restorations the western one in the Decorated style, the others square-headed
with C14 style tracery. Between the left-hand and central windows is a projecting
C19 rubble lateral stack with cylindrical shaft. C19 gabled vestry projecting from
east end of aisle has a small 2-centred doorway on its west wall and a gable end
chimney stack. The vestry blocks a window on the north face of the aisle leaving the
hoodmould partly visible. The north aisle extends to the east end of the chancel and
both have C19 Perpendicular style 4-light windows. On the south side the chancel
projects slightly from the nave. Both have C19 2-light windows, a Decorated style
one to the nave, Perpendicular to the chancel. The south transept has a restored 2-
light window with cinquefoiled heads and simple Perpendicular traceried window on
south wall. Gabled south porch with large 4-centred chamfered sandstone rubble arch.
To the west of it is a 3-light restored Decorated style window.
Interior: Porch has late C19 or early C20 boarded roof. C15 moulded 2-centre arched
south doorway. Tall 5 bay granite arcade of Pevsner A-type piers with raised
lozenges carved on capitals and 4-centred moulded arches. The internal walls are
rendered apart from exposed stonework at the west end. The chancel is Decorated with
stencilwork for which Medley Fulford was probably responsible and which is of an
unusually early date for this type of decoration. A C19 timber chancel arch is
similarly deorated. The wagon roofs were renewed in nave, chancel and transept but
the old roof was restored in the aisle. The roofs over the nave and aisle are
painted. Simple C19 benches. Elaborate late C19 marble reredos ornately coloured.
Square Norman font with scalloped bottom edge to bowl which rests n the short
circular stem. This stands on a square base which has a small stone on each corner,
2 or which are carved in the form of masks. Good carved Jacobean pyramidal font
cover. Remains of C14 sepulchral arch in transept. In east window of north aisle
are 4-lights of old glass depicting St Edmund the Confessor, St Margaret, St
Christopher and St Anthony.
Sources: Beatrix Cresswell - Notes on Devon Churches - Deanery of Torrington Devon
C19 Churches project.

Listing NGR: SS5257412031

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17536741

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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