Parish Church Of St Mary

The Parish Church of St Mary is a historic church located in Stoke Abbott, with origins dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries. It features a 14th-century porch and chancel arch, a 15th-century west tower, and a former north chapel. The tower was restored in 1826, and further restoration took place in 1876, during which the north arcade and north aisle were rebuilt. The church is constructed of coursed and dressed stone with clay tile roofs.

The west tower consists of three stages topped with a plain parapet, although much of the stone facing is modern. The west doorway has chamfered jambs and a two-centred head, complete with a label and stops. The west window features two trefoiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head, while a modern window is present in the south wall. The bell chamber has restored windows with two trefoiled lights.

Inside, the nave's south wall includes two windows, with the eastern window dating to the 15th century and the western being modern. The south doorway, dating from the 15th century, has chamfered jambs and a two-centred head. In the chancel, the north wall has three windows: the first and third are 13th-century lancets, and the middle window is a 12th-century round-headed light. The south wall features 13th-century coupled lancets and a single lancet, along with a 15th-century western window. The east window has three cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head, complete with a label and stops. The south porch has a re-set outer archway with two hollow-chamfered orders.

The interior includes a late 19th-century north arcade leading to the north aisle, characterized by short round piers with plain moulded capitals. The arcade's mouldings include ovolo, sunk quadrant, hollow chamfer, and stopped designs. The north aisle contains a reset 13th-century lancet with two lights. The font, dating from the late 12th century, features a tapering cylindrical bowl with top and base mouldings, a richly diapered surface adorned with acanthus ornament, and an enriched arcade supported by cat's mask corbels. Below the arcade, there are a series of heads, mostly bearded, with one restored. The pulpit, from the early 17th century, has been much restored and features three panelled sides in two tiers, with enriched upper and middle rails. The nave's south wall includes a recess with a 15th-century stoup featuring a two-centred head and bowl. Monuments within the church include a white marble wall tablet dedicated to Aubrey Price, M.A., rector, from 1782, which features a Latin inscription and a shield of arms.