Luppitt Church of St Mary Basics
Listed building grade 1
Regularly open
Address
Church of St Mary
Luppitt
Honiton
EX14 4RY
Geographical coordinates
50°51’17.4″N 3°10’55.3″W (enter these in your smartphone navigator)
Devonchurchland says…
Yet another beautifully situated church, nestled into a south-facing hill side in the deep countryside, Luppitt church is a wonderful place to sit and admire the countryside.
Not forgetting the actual church building, which is a beaut. Norman origins (at least), rebuilt 13th/14th centuries and the tower added in the 15th with later renovations as needed. It has preserved its original cruciform shape, no aisles added later, and it is lovely.
And the grotesques up on the tower, which we can get level with owing to the steep hillside.
Inside, looking up, the nave and transepts roofs are likely original and the crossing ribs are magnificent.
The interior is sparse, clear lines and peaceful space, with splashes of Victorian glass. It is lovely.
And then there is the Luppitt font, early Norman and fantabously, deeply carved with mythical creatures, legendary humans, heads that would make Aztecs proud and wildlife. It is nationally famous, deservedly so, and is worth the visit alone.
Well worth discovering, this church, with the added bonus of the wonderful Blackdown Hills surrounding it.
Outline
PLAN
- Cruciform
- Long C19 chancel
- Lower than the nave and transepts
- West tower
- South porch
AGE
- Norman origins
- Norman font
- Rebuilt in the late C13 – early Cl4
- Refurbished in the C15 with new tower
- The top part rebuilt in 1905
- C15 south porch
- Renovated 1885 – 90
- Chancel was rebuilt at the same time
- Renovated again in 1923
BUILT FROM
- Local stone and flint rubble
- Original Beerstone ashlar detail
- C19 Membury stone ashlar detail
- Slate roof with some C19 crested ridge tiles
Exterior
WEST TOWER
- Tall
- 3 stages
- Diagonal buttresses
- To the top of the second stage
- Eaves cornice (rebuilt in 1905) is moulded with gargoyle water-spouts
- Parapet has moulded coping
- Semi-hexagonal stair turret on south side
- 2-light belfry windows
- Perpendicular tracery
- West doorway a 2-centred arch
- Moulded surround
- Directly above is a 4-light window
- Perpendicular tracery
- Hoodmould with carved head label stops
NAVE SOUTH SIDE
- 3 bays
- Contains a central doorway
- Possibly late C13 – early C14 2-centred arch
- Moulded surround
- Hoodmould with carved head label stops
- Above it is a shallow image niche
- Porch is flanked by 2-light windows
- Decorated tracery
- Hoodmoulds with carved foliage label stops
PORCH
- C15
- Gabled
- 2-centred outer arch
- Moulded surround
- Hoodmould with carved head label stops
- Open wagon roof with moulded purlins is original
CHANCEL
- C19 windows
- Perpendicular tracery
- South side includes a reset probably late C13 – early C14 priests door
- Trefoil head
TRANSEPTS
- Gable-ends of transepts have early Decorated style 3-light windows
- Stilted Y-tracery
- North transept window is original
NAVE NORTH SIDE
- 2 similar 2-light windows
- One either side of a blocked doorway
Interior
VARIOUS
- C15 tall panelled Beerstone tower arch
- Moulded surround
- Caps to the shafts
- Chancel arch has a triple-chamfered arch ring springing from shafts
- With moulded caps
- A plain 2-centred arch from the chancel to the vestry
- A small trefoil-headed piscina in the north transept
- Walls are plastered
- Floor of the nave and transept is flagged
- Some ancient graveslabs included in the transepts
- The furniture is all C19
- Built of oak
- Some have minimal Gothic decoration
- There are no memorials
- Except for a later C13 or C14 sepulchral arch
- Reset in the chancel
- C19 glass scheme is simple but complete
ROOFS
- Roof of the nave and transepts may be original
- Late C13 – early C14,
- But maybe later C14 or C15
- Whatever the date the roof is magnificent
- Open, common rafter truss, vault
- Moulded purlins and wall plates
- Crossing is most impressive
- Made up intersecting arch-braced trusses
- Replacement carved oak boss at their intersection
- The large moulded arch braces spring from half-engaged octagonal shafts
- With moulded capitals
- The chancel has a C19 open wagon roof
CHANCEL
- Chancel floor is C19 tile.
- C20 oak reredos and C19 altar table
- South side of the sanctuary a length of Norman carved stone has been adapted to a piscina
- C19 oak altar rail
- With twisted iron standards
- Similar standards are incorporated in the stall frontals
FONT
- Very good
- Probably Norman, may be late Saxon
- Built of Membury stone
- A square bowl with round rim moulding
- Bowl is covered with a rich and elaborate sculpture
- East face features a martyrdom
- Other sides feature a fabulous monster, wild animals and patterns
- Each corner has a large mask-like head
- Most of the shaft and the base are C20
Other information
Various old fragments such as part of a medieval brass, acoustic bowls, C15 carved oak bosses from the tower and other architectural fragments are displayed in the church.
The tower is now used as the baptistry.
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
