Church of St Mary, Dunsford, Devon

Description

DUNSFORD REEDY HILL, (north side), Dunsford
SX 88 NW
6/57 Church of St Mary

30.6.61

GV I

Parish church. C15 with restorations of 1822 and 1846; south wall and porch 1822,
chancel largely 1846. Dressed granite brought to course, some granite ashlar;
granite, freestone and volcanic stone dressings, north aisle granite and freestone
rendered on the north side and west end, slate roofs.
Nave, chancel, west tower, 4-bay north aisle, vestry on north side of chancel, south
west porch. The church was dedicated in 1261 but the present structure appears to be
Perpendicular of the C15 except for the 1822 south wall and the chancel, which is
1846 in the Decorated style. The arms of Bishop Lacy on a former font may indicate
that building work was carried out during his episcopacy, 1420-1455. In 1822 the
south wall and porch were 'rebuilt,'in 1846 the nave was extended east by 1 bay and
the chancel largely reconstructed in a correct archaeological style.
The 1846 chancel has diagonal buttresses, a coped east gable and a 3-light C12
Decorated east window with hoodmould and carved label stops. On the south side 2-
light 1846 Decorated windows with hoodmoulds flank a chamfered 2-centred arched
priest's doorway. On the north side the chancel has one 2-light C19 Decorated window
with a hoodmould. The easternmost bay of the nave, also 1846, has granite ashlar
buttresses with set-offs on either side and an 1846 Perpendicular 3-light window with
a hoodmould and carved label stops. The other nave windows are presumably of 1822,
3-light Perpendicular with hoodmoulds and probably copies of the medieval windows
they replaced. The south porch is also 1822 with diagonal buttresses and a reused
shallow-moulded granite rounded outer doorway. The porch has a timber sundial in the
gable and a pair of circa early C19 or earlier gates with fielded panels below a
section of balustrade with bobbin turned balusters and ramped top rails crowned by
iron spikes. The porch has a plain plastered vault and a plain narrow 2-centred
inner doorway with a 2-centred door with 6 flush panels and strap hinges. The north
aisle has diagonal buttresses and is rendered on the north side and west end. The 4-
light Perpendicular cusped east window with Y tracery has replaced mullions and
carved C19 1abel stops but the tracery and hoodmould are probably late C15. On the
north side four 3-light Perpendicular late C15 cusped windows have fine original
carved label stops. The west window of the aisle has been blocked, probably when the
gallery was added.
An 1846 vestry projects north on the north side of the chancel; the vestry has a
stone chimney at the north gable end, a 2-light square-headed east window and a
doorway on the west side. The 3-stage battlemented west tower has set-back
buttresses and no pinnacles. A grand battlemented north east projecting stair turret
rises above the height of the tower proper: the turret is rectangular at the bottom
stage, polygonal above, with slit windows. The west door is chamfered with a 2-
centred arch, the west window is 3-light and Perpendicular with replaced mullions but
original tracery hoodmould and label stops in a local volcanic stone. All 4 faces of
the tower have 2-light square-headed belfry openings in a local volcanic stone with
hoodmoulds, label stops and slate louvres.
Interior Plastered walls, all the stone work painted, including the arcade. The 4-
bay arcade and the responds of the chancel arch are of unusual section: the usual
arrangement of 4 hollows and 4 shafts is elaborated by subsidiary shafts and keel
mouldings with an enriched effect in the moulded capitals (cf Doddiscombsleigh,
Pevsner). The chancel arch is 4-centred, the arcade arches 2-centred, the tower arch
is obscured by the west end gallery. The nave and chancel roofs are open wagons with
moulded ribs and bosses, they appear to be largely medieval. The chancel bosses are
fine and deeply-cut with a variety of symbolic carving. The north aisle has a ceiled
wagon roof with moulded ribs and foliage bosses; the plaster between the ribs has
been painted to imitate fan vaulting, possibly in 1822. The stone chancel screen and
reredos are good examples of early Gothic Revival fittings: the crenellated 3-bay
screen has a cusped central bay, the outer bays are sub-divided and have traceried
heads. The reredos is also crenellated with bays of blind arcading; 2 outer bays
rise as elaborately carved gables, the painted texts and altar piece no longer exist.
The Decorated style east window by Beer was designed as an ensemble with the reredos.
The chancel has a C19 trefoil-headed piscina on the south wall and a timber dado
incorporating panels of early C16 decorative carving that may derive from a secular
source. A fine early C17 Bishops chair in the chancel is said to have originated at
Culver House in Holcombe Burnell parish (Stabb). The deep west end gallery and organ
loft has a circa early C18 5-bay frontal of fielded panels divided by reeded
pilasters, the frontal carried on timber Tuscan columns (1 column missing). To the
rear the gallery is supported on an arrangement of stout plain C20 timbers. C18
timber drum pulpit with Gothic ogee-head panelling and an C18 carved panel of a cross
and cherubs fixed to one side. Fine timber eagle lectern of 1846 on a triangular
pedestal with nodding ogee arches and draper painting. The font is a circa 1846 copy
of the original, an octagonal bowl carved with armorial bearings on a thick stem and
moulded plinth. The 3-bay tower screen is probably early C16 with unusual square
heads to the traceried lights. The central bay is a 2-leaf door, the outer bays have
king mullions. The east end of the aisle is the Fulford family pew enclosed by a low
late C17 panelled screen which originated from the chapel of Great Fulford (qv), wall
monument to Thomas Fulford, died 1610 and his wife. 2 recumbent effigies on an
elaborately carved chest, a tester above supported on 3 Corinthian columns. Seven
Fulford children, kneel on a ledge fixed to the wall at the back of the tomb. The
figures are in an unusually good state of preservation and some ancient colour
survives. A wall monument of 1700 to Francis Fulford has an inscription panel
flanked by Corinthian columns with armorial bearings above, below this monument a
cartouche commemorates his wife, Margaret, died 1689. On the east wall a Gothic
Revival wall monument commemorates Baldwin Fulford, died 1847; 2 inscription panels
under Gothic arches on shafts. A brass wall plaque with a Latin inscription
commemorates Baldwin Fulford, died 1871.A Tudor arched tomb recess on the north
wall of the nave with foliage carving to the arch and shields in the spandrels is
likely to be a Fulford tomb. Bench ends in the chancel are C19, those in the nave
C20. The head tracery of windows in the north aisle and nave contain fragments of
medieval glass including several figures of saints and seraphim, all executed by the
Doddiscombsleigh school of glass painters. The east window of the north aisle is by
Fouracre and Watson of Plymouth.
The church has a fine medieval tower and arcade, tactful rebuilding work of 1822 and
a fine early Gothic Revival chancel. The Fulford standing monument is of special
interest.
John Stabb, Devon Church Antiquities, Vol I (1909), p 59.
Pevsner, South Devon, (1952).
Beatrix Cresswell, Notes on the churches of the Deanery of Kenn, (1912).
Devon Cl9 Churches Project.
Dr C.L. Brooks and Dr D. Evans, MS notes on the Dunsford medieval stained glass.

Listing NGR: SX8130089198

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Church of St Mary

A Grade I Listed Building in Dunsford, Devon

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