Holne Church of St Mary the Virgin Basics
Listed building grade 1
Regularly open
Address
St Mary the Virgin
Holne
Newton Abbot
TQ13 7SL
Geographical coordinates
50°30’39.1″N 3°49’36.0″W (enter these in your smartphone navigator)
Devonchurchland says…
This little old granite church way up in the clouds has a core of nave, chancel, transepts and tower from the late 13th century. The aisles were added around 1500.
It is a beautiful sparse moorland church… until some real treasures come to play.
The roodscreen and pulpit are beyond greatness, especially taking into account their recent restoration which has really brought out their original colours. The painting of the saints are stunning, the carving itself is a wonder, and there is a very rare depiction (only three in Devon) of Mary being crowned the Queen of Heaven on the main doors.
Then there is the stained glass, a window by the Victorian master Charles Kempe not the least of the beauties.
There is also a very rare WWI battlefield cross displayed as memorial. A very emotive experience.
Like many a Dartmoor church, the use of granite really catches the eye.
Holne church is a moorland church par excellence, a real beauty.
Outline
PLAN
- Nave
- North and south aisles
- North and South Chapels
- North and south transepts
- Chancel
- South Porch
- West tower
AGE
- Built round 1300 with west tower, transepts, nave and chancel
- Enlarged around 1500 by addition of aisles
- Restored late C19
BUILT FROM
- Granite rubble partly rendered
- Concrete tile roofs
Exterior
WEST TOWER
- Around 1300
- 2 stages with batter and embattled parapet
- 2-light bell-openings
- Loops to internal stairs on north side
- Plain chamfered 2-centred arch west doorway
SOUTH PORCH
- 2-centred moulded arch waggon roof
- Carved bosses
- 2-central arch moulded inner south doorway
CHANCEL
- C19 3-light east window
- Reticulated tracery
- Chapels north and south
- Reused small C13 moulded doorway in vestry
NORTH AND SOUTH TRANSEPTS
- 4-light perpendicular north and south windows
- North window has restored tracery
- North transept has a 3-light lancets on east side
GENERAL
- Nave and north and south aisles under one roof
- Aisles have C19 2 and 3-light lancets
Interior
ROOFS
- Wagon roofs
- Those to nave and south transept unceiled.
- Aisle and north transept wagon roofs have moulded ribs and carved bosses
- The chancel has C19 waggon roof with carved bosses
ARCADES
- Circa 1500 five bay north and south arcades
- East bays to the chapels are smaller
- Low monolithic octagonal granite piers
- Unmoulded capitals
- Double-chamfered 4-central arches
NORTH TRANSEPT
- The north transept
- Moulded wooden cambered arch to north chapel
- Now an organ chamber
- Doorway to roof stairs
VARIOUS
- Tall plain undressed 2-centred tower arch with imposts
- Cusped 2-centred arch piscina in south wall of chancel
- Late C19 choir stalls and stone reredos
- The seating of 1909
- C19 and C20 granite font
- Wall monument in south transept to Sir Bourchier Wrey
- 1826, of Holne Park.
ROODSCREEN
- Good circa 1500 wooden screens in 3 sections across nave and aisles
- Perpendicular tracery
- Rich carving
- Retaining colour
- Painted figures in wainscot panels
- The screen coving is missing
PULPIT
- Fine circa 1500 10-sided carved wooden pulpit
- Goblet stem
- Retaining colour
Other information
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
