Ashton Church of St John the Baptist Basics
Listed building grade 1
Regularly open
Address
Church of St John the Baptist
Higher Ashton
Exeter
EX6 7QP
Geographical coordinates
50°39’02.1″N 3°37’10.1″W (enter these in your smartphone navigator)
Devonchurchland says…
It is difficult to describe the wonder and magic in this church, there are not many like it in Devon, let alone the country.
The situation for one thing, in one of the prettiest valleys around, the Teign Valley, the river winding through fields and steep hills with a village here, a hamlet there, and a beautiful church in every one.
Then the outside, some real pretty features, the priest’s door, the south door with possible Civil War shot marks, and the lovely west door, now the main entrance.
Inside all bets are off. A very fine 15th century font, many 16th century benches and bench ends, an atmosphere of faded magic…
And a stunning rood screen with paintings of such a quality and meaning. On the front are a near complete set of saints and holy folk, almost as fresh as the day they were completed, while in the north chapel a complete sequence of grisaille paintings that give an exceptional insight into the faith of folk back in the day let alone the fact they are such high quality art. Two more are in the chancel.
15/16th century stained glass is scattered around, now somewhat fragmented but still with a fine beauty.
There is a medieval wall painting of Christ and the Instruments of the Passion, and a very rare 17th century painted timber wall monument that used to cover it up, bigging up George Chudleigh.
All in all, one of the most quietly intoxicating churches in Devon.
Outline
PLAN
- West tower
- Nave
- Chancel
- North aisle
- North east Lady Chapel
- South porch
- North-west vestry
AGE
- Early C15
- Restored 1881-83
- To the designs of the rector, Rev. R Dennett
- Further restoration 1899-1901
- By Ponting of Marlborough
- involved repairing the roof and window tracery
- Reslating
- Relaying the floor
- Choir stalls and restoration of screen probably also date from this period
BUILT FROM
- Coursed stone, partly rendered,
- Granite rubble tower,
- Freestone and granite dressings
- Slate roof
Exterior
WEST TOWER
- 3 stage
- Battlemented
- Dressed moorstone with corner obelisk finials
- Diagonal buttresses with set-offs
- String courses
- Plinth
- Internal south-west stair
- Fine Perpendicular granite west window,
- Deeply traceried
- 3-light granite Perpendicular west window,
- Deeply recessed
- 2-light chamfered belfry openings on all 4 faces
- Chamfered 1-light openings to bellringers’ stage
- On west and south faces
NAVE
- Gabled rendered porch
- Flanked by similar Perpendicular windows
CHANCEL
- 3-light C19 Perpendicular east window
- Shallow rectangular rood loft stair turret on south side
- Moulded arched south priest’s doorway
- 3 plank C17 door
- 2 Perpendicular windows
- Considerable C19 stonework replacement
PORCH
- Gabled
- Rounded chamfered outer doorway
- Chamfered inner doorway
- With a probable C17 plank and stud door;
- Moulded arch braced medieval roof
- Brattished wallplate
- Medieval benches with stone seats
- Trefoil-headed statue niche over inner doorway.
NORTH AISLE
- East end flush with the chancel
- An east window similar to the chancel
- Five 3-light Perpendicular north windows with much replaced stonework
- C19 3-light Perpendicular west window
- Uncarved label stops
Interior
NAVE & AISLE
- Plastered walls
- No chancel arch
- Fine double-chamfered granite tower arch
- Moulded responds and capitals
- Unusually elaborate 5-bay Beerstone arcade
- 1 bay to the chancel
- Piers with clustered shafts with capitals similar to the tower arch
- Moulded arches
- Open waggon roofs with moulded ribs
- Carved foliage bosses
- Brattished wallplate to nave and chancel
- C19 timber eagle lectern
- 1735 painted Royal Arms
- In nowy-headed frame over nave door
- C17 altar table to north-east chapel
ROOD SCREEN
- Important
- 8-bay
- C15
- Coving an early C20 replacement
- Incorporating some medieval carving
- The paintings are probably the best in the county
- Conventional dado paintings on the west side
- Exceptionally fine large demi-figures on the east side and parclose
- Parclose has 6 square-headed traceried bays
- 2-centred granite doorway to rood loft
- rebated for a door
BENCH ENDS
- Full set of Perpendicular nave bench ends and benches
- With C20 repair
- Most of the bench ends have 2 tiers of blind tracery
- Some of the benches have good carved bench backs
FONT
- Perpendicular Beerstone
- Octagonal bowl
- Foliage carving at the junction with the stem
- Heraldry carved on the bowl
- Said to record the marriage in 1476 of Sir James Chudleigh of Place Barton (q.v.) and Margaret Stourton
PULPIT
- Fine late C16 timber drum pulpit
- With tester
- Drum decorated with tiers of round-headed arches and strapwork
- Reeded pilasters
- And a dentil frieze below the cornice
- Well-carved tester
- Soffit decorated with applied ribs, bosses and stars
WALL PAINTING
- Unusually well-preserved
- On north wall of north east chapel
- Showing the mass of St Gregory (or not?)
- Further fragment of painting on east wall of chapel
- Likely that other wall-paintings survive behind later plaster and paint
CHANCEL
- Trefoil-headed piscina
- Tomb recess below the south window
- Moulded granite tomb slab
- Decorated with a cross
- Partly built into this recess.
- C18 altar rails
- C19 tiling and choir stalls
MONUMENTS
- Remarkable C17 timber wall monument in north wall
- To Sir George Chudleigh, died 1657.
- Timber board,
- Flanked by columns
- Crowned with armorial bearings with obelisk finials to left and right
- Records the descent and matrimonial alliances of the Chudleighs
- With shields painted with coats of arms
- Inscription panel below board
- On the north wall
- A severe Egyptian style monument
- To William Godfrey, died 1798
- Signed T Robinson
STAINED GLASS
- Early C15
- By the Doddiscombsleigh school of glass painters
- Evidently the remains of a large scheme
- Surviving figure glass is fragmentary
- Heraldic glass in the head tracery more complete
- Indicates Chudleigh alliances
- Glass restored in 1901-2
- By F. Morris Drake of Exeter
- Who commented on its remarkable technical qualities
- East window designed by Drake
Other information
An outstanding medieval church with important medieval paintings, woodwork and stained glass.
Perpendicular, the heraldic glass dating from the period of Bishop Lacy, 1420-55, (Pevsner), the whole church possibly of this date
Outstanding for Perpendicular fittings, painting and stained glass
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
