West Worlington Church of St Mary Basics
Listed building grade 1
Regularly open
Address
Church of St Mary
West Worlington
Witheridge
EX17 4TT
Geographical coordinates
50°54’27.2″N 3°45’03.7″W (enter these in your smartphone navigator)
Devonchurchland says…
West Worlington church is in a beautiful position in its own hidden churchyard overlooking a deeply rural valley.
The entrance is a tunnel through an old traditional thatched cottage, one of the prettiest church gates in Devon
The church has a gorgeous 13th century tower and a little later spire, and some lovely original windows. Well worth looking around the outside for a bit.
Inside it is a very medieval church, changing only slowly through the centuries. Good roofbosses and even better 16th century bench ends.
There is also a 16th century parclose screen, very nice indeed.
The chancel has a variety of delicious victorian floor tiles and also a 17th century memorial to Thomas Stucley. The Stucleys were the local patrons and a madder bunch of lads it would be difficult to find.
Some lovely stained in a couple of windows too.
All in all though this church is really special for its atmosphere, hidden away in the depths of Mid Devon. A must see.
Outline
PLAN
- Nave
- Chancel,
- South aisle
- South porch
- West tower and spire
- Perpendicular style
AGE
- Predominantly C15
- Tower C13
- Chancel partly C14;
- C19 restoration
BUILT FROM
- Coursed local rubble
- Coursed and squared to the tower
- Some Bathstone dressings
- Continuous gabled slated nave and chancel roof
- Clay ridge tiles
- Aisle with gabled roof with lead ridge
- Slate roof to porch with clay ridge,
- Timber twisted broach spire to tower
- Clad with shingles
Exterior
WEST TOWER
- Big, broad and squat
- Large quoins to west
- 3-light west window with a stilted arch head
- Centre light reaching up to the apex
- Flanking lights terminating lower down
- Label which continues as a weathered drip right around the tower
- Pointed-arch west doorway with 2 orders of cavetto mouldings
- Studded plank door
- Rebuilt 1976 after lightning strike
- Retains some of its early structure
- Lead capping
- Weathercock
NAVE
- Two 2-light trefoiled square-headed windows to the north
- Labels
- Similar window on north side of chancel
- Appears replaced C19
- 3-bayed aisle with 2-stage buttresses with offsets
- Fine-traceried 3-light Perpendicular windows
CHANCEL
- C13 style east window
- 3 lights with intersecting tracery
- (replacing an earlier window of the same style?)
PORCH
- Small, gabled
- Very plain outer door opening
- Inside slate floor
- Wooden bench to each side on a rubble base
- C15 waggon roof with moulded ribs
- Bosses replaced C19
- Leaf frieze to wallplate
- Part original, part recarved
- Moulded Perpendicular inner door opening
- C19 plank door, medieval style iron hinges
Interior
VARIOUS
- Plaster removed from walls except the chancel
- Slate floors, except
- Chancel with Victorian High Gothic encaustic tile pavement
- Simple double-chamfered tower arch,
- Probably C15
- No chancel arch
- 3-bay arcade to aisle with Pevsner’s B-type piers
- Standard Devon capitals with angel figures
- Mask, and blank
- Shields as well as the usual leaf decoration
- Good set of carved C16 bench ends
- Geometrical patterns
- Tracery and floral carving in relief
- Some C19 copies
- Seat in aisle with back of Cl7 panelling
- Fielded pine dado panelling to north wall of nave and south wall of aisle
- Good traceried parclose screen
- With Pevsner’s A-type tracery
- C14 piscina to chancel
- Victorian High Gothic pulpit
- Lectern, altar rails and altar table
- Georgian Royal Arms
- Under tower
- parish chest dated 1690
- Early C19 strong box
- Charity plaque dated 1835
- C15 ring-chamber floor,
- Moulded ribs, framed in 6 panels
ROOFS
- Aisle with C15 waggon roof
- Same style as in the porch
- Moulded ribs
- Bosses
- (to centre with the Virgin and Child painted)
- Cornice with a leaf frieze
- C16 waggon roof to nave
- Restored C19
- Moulded ribs
- Painted bosses
- Wallplate with a pierced frieze
- Ceiled C19 waggon roof in chancel
MONUMENTS
- Wall monument to Thomas Stucley of 1663
- With flanking Corinthian columns,
- Pediment, strapwork ornament, cherubs and achievement
- Coloured and gilded
- Late C19 wall monument
- Painted plaque over south door:
- “John Cook Warden 1726”
STAINED GLASS
- Much old glass to windows
- Probably C18,
- Clear panes with irregular canes
- Fragments of medieval stained glass to top lights of west window of south aisle
- Stained glass window to chancel dated 1890
- Window to aisle dated 1908
Other information
Totally delightful
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