Description

BIDEFORD

SS4526 CHURCH WALK
842-1/6/75 (South side)
08/11/49 Church of St Mary

GV II*

Parish Church. Probably C15; all but the tower rebuilt by
Edward Ashworth in 1862-5. Fittings and monuments retained
from old church. Stone rubble, with limestone details. Slate
roof.
Nave, N and S aisles with attached chapel on N, chancel, N and
S chancel chapels, N and S porches, W tower. Both medieval and
C19 parts in Perpendicular style.
3-stage tower with angle-buttresses at NW and SW corners;
set-back buttresses at east end of north and south faces.
5-sided stair-turret on N face. Pointed-arched W doorway with
double-ogee mouldings; C19 ribbed door with ornamental
strap-hinges. Above it a 4-light traceried window with pointed
arch (restored). Second stage has single-light windows with
cinquefoil arches in N and S faces (both restored); that to S
has square-headed slit window above it. 2-light apertures in
each face, that to east apparently reduced in height to insert
a clock; the other 3 openings have pointed arches, each light
beneath having itself a plain pointed arch. Stair-turret has
pointed-arched doorway (probably C19) with plank door having
ornamental strap-hinges; 5 original slit windows. Tower
finished with battlemented parapet.
C19 body of church has traceried windows, mostly of 3, 4, or 5
lights; pointed arches, except for 4-centred ones on N and S
sides of chancel chapels; hood-moulds have dramatic
high-relief male and female heads as terminals.
INTERIOR: nave has 6-bay aisle-arcades with 4-centred arches;
similar 2-bay arcades in chancel. nave and S aisle have false
hammerbeam roofs; arch-braced roofs over N aisle and chancel;
wagon roofs over chancel chapels. Fittings: Norman stone font
with scalloped bowl having carved panels and cable-mouldings.
Doors in tower arch made up of early C16 carved bench-ends.
C19 pulpit; white marble veined with orange; green and red
marble attached columns; attached figure of Christ. Glass
screen between the N aisle and chapel engraved by Peter Tysoe,
1982. Several stained glass windows, including east window by
A Gibbs, 1865, and north window by Dix.
Monuments: traceried stone screen between chancel and south
chapel incorporating tomb of Sir Thomas Graynfild (d.1514);
chest with quatrefoil panels carrying recumbent figure in
armour; south aisle has wall monument with high-relief bust of
John Strange, merchant (d.1646), four times mayor of Bideford;
inscription recording his work during the plague, of which he
died.
(The Buildings of England: Cherry B: Devon (2nd edition):
London: 1989-: P.174, 176).

Listing NGR: SS4538626423

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Mary at Wikipedia
• Church of St Mary official website
• Wikidata Q17536632

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

• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)