Description

MARY TAVY MARY TAVY SX 57 NW 4/80 Church of St Mary - 21.3.67 GV I

Parish church. C14 origin of nave and chancel, south aisle added slightly later, second phase of building early C15 tower and rood stair, west end of aisle rebuilt and porch added mid C15, C19 restoration and south transept dated 1893; porch sundial dated 1702. Nave, chancel and aisle of mixed slate and granite rubble with large granite quoins to aisle; tower, rood stair, west end of aisle and porch of granite ashlar, greenstone dressings to aisle, metamorphic stone dressings to porch and tower; C19 transept in granite ashlar; slate roofs with raised coped verges and crestings of C19, cross finial to porch, lead roof to tower. West tower, nave, chancel, south aisle, south porch and south transept. Perpendicular style of various periods. 2-stage tower has 2-centred arched west door with surround of 2 roll-mouldings and one hollow in metamorphic stone, quatrefoils in spandrels and hood-mould, C19 door with strap hinges, 3-light window above with 4- centred head, cusped lights, hood-mould and relieving arch, second stage south has similar smaller 2-light window with C20 glazing and mullion, third stage has 2-light bell-openings with cusped lights, slate louvres, flat head and hood-mould, embattled parapet, obelisk pinnacles with ball finials, moulded plinth and string courses, buttress rising to first stage south; polygonal north stair tower with lancets and embattled parapet, string courses continued around stair tower. 2-bay nave has two 3-light north windows, with 4-centred heads, roll-moulded mullions, cusped lights and hood-mould, to right mouldings replaced by late C19/early C20 granite and limestone, to left with replaced lower section of mullions and with wave-moulded architraves; polygonal rood stair to left with lancets and moulded plinth as on tower. Single bay chancel has to north a 3-light window with flat head and hood-mould, relieving arch, cusped light lancets; 3-light east window with 2-centred arched head and hood-mould, relieving arch, cusped lights in slatestone, weathered buttress to left at junction with south aisle, with 3-light east window of triple lancet with upper tracery in greenstone, replaced mullions, hood-mould and relieving arch over 4-centred head. South side of aisle has 3-light window as on north side of chancel, with hood-mould and convex-moulded architrave; attached to wall, 2 slate ledger stones, one to Mary Veare, 1740, with paired inscription panels, hourglass and wings in centre, skull and crossed bones in spandrels to sides; one to John Hawkins, blacksmith, 1721 and other members of the family, with 2 panels, shield of arms with skull and crossed bones to left. Stylised vase of flowers to right. At west end, aisle has plinth slightly lower than tower, line of roof alterations visible in gable end, 3-light window in metamorphic stone with 4-centred arch, cusped lights and upper tracery, hood-mould. Gabled south porch has 2-centred arched opening in metamorphic stone with 3 hollow mouldings and hood-mould, moulded plinth and low string course continuous with west end of aisle, slate sundial with gnomon on gable end, C19 wrought iron gates; interior has scored slate floor, wooden benches to sides, depressed arched inner opening with architrave of 2 roll and one hollow moulding in metamorphic stone, as on west tower doorway, with circles carved in spandrels, flat head and hood-mould, greenstone image niche above with trefoil head, moulded wall-plate also in greenstone with second timber wall-plate above, fine 2-bay roof with moulded arched-braces with pendants, collars and moulded collar purlin, one row of moulded purlins, carved bosses. 2 storey south transept has 4-light south window at first floor level with Y- traceried mullion, buttresses and plinth, 3-light ground floor window to east with cusped ogee heads set in recessed reveal; tall 2-light window, contemporary with transept, on south side of aisle between transept and porch, in granite, with cusped ogee heads. Interior Nave has 4-bay C19 roof of principal rafters, arched-braces, cambered collars and 2 tiers of windbraces with wallplate and one row of purlins; 2-bay arcade continued a further 2 bays into chancel and chapel, has 3 central piers of Pevsner A- type in metamorphic stone, west pier in similar stone of lighter colour, 2 arches in nave are low 4-centred with roll-mouldings, taller 2-centred arches in chancel with 2 wave mouldings. In north wall, door to former rood stair with segmental head, upper C19 rood door with flat head, C19 wooden pulpit on granite base by lower door; north windows are of C19 reconstruction to left, to right only partially replaced with roll-moulded architrave; 2-centred tower arch of 2 chamfered orders with cornice at springing of arch. Chancel has 3-bay roof as in nave, east window has hollow- chamfered rere-arch, north window with roll-moulded surround and mullion, piscina to right of altar with chamfered 4-centred arch and drain, of C15; chamfered triple pier at east end of arcade in metamorphic stone of C15, other piers of C19. South chapel has 3-bay roof as nave, east window of C19 reconstruction with surround in style as chancel east window, south wall has reset Norman piscina with cambered head and cross mouldings to sides, south window has image niche on left jamb with C19 Perpendicular style hood and image; mid C19 carved wooden rood screen across chancel and chapel. South aisle has 4-bay roof as nave, cambered head to door opening, with holy water stoup to east, Tudor arched door to vestry with C19 Perpendicular style stoup to west; above an ogee-headed 3-light window to upper level of vestry with trefoil heads to lights; west window has splayed metamorphic stone reveal with replacement mullions. Vestry has straight stair with turned balusters to upper room. Tower has mid C19 bellframe with bells dated 1720, 1809 and one of C19. Fittings: octagonal granite font in south aisle, possibly of mediaeval origin and recut in C19, with decorative ironwork to cover. Pair of marble tablets on slate in south aisle, to William Martin, 1837 and John Martin, 1838, by R. Hingston of Plymouth and Tavistock. Fine set of stained glass in style of Kempe, late C19. (Sources: Pevsner, N. : Buildings of England: South Devon 1952).

Listing NGR: SX5092178752

External Links

• Wikidata Q17527756

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Recommended Books

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)