Parish Church Of St Swithun

Parish Church of St Swithun, Woodbury

The Parish Church of St Swithun is a largely late-medieval parish church with origins in the 13th century. The south transept and possibly part of the south wall of the nave and chancel date from the 13th century, but the church was largely rebuilt with a new tower erected in 1407–9 (dedicated in 1409, recorded in Bishop Stafford's Register). The north aisle was built by the Haydon family in the early 16th century. The church was extensively restored by the incumbent Reverend J L Fulford, especially between 1849–52, with roofs replaced and another general restoration undertaken in 1893.

The building is constructed of coursed dressed sandstone with dry slate roofs. It comprises a west tower, nave, north aisle, south transept, north-east vestry and organ chamber (originally the Haydon chantry chapel), chancel, and south porch.

The west tower consists of three stages with a plinth. String courses embrace set-back buttresses, each with three offsets that contain provision for statues which were never executed. The parapet is battlemented with a quatrefoil panel to each merlon, and the tower features gargoyles but no pinnacles. The belfry openings on each face are 2-light, pointed with a quatrefoil in the head. The second stage on the south side has two 2-light square-headed bell-ringing chamber windows, one above the other, with the upper one breaking the string course which forms the hood mould (similar to the contemporary tower at Lympstone Church). The west window is a 4-light Perpendicular window. The west doorway has a moulded surround with one order of vine-leaf trails; the hood mould is formed by the plinth string course. The door with studded rails may date from the 16th century.

On the south side, the west part of the nave appears early, with a masonry joint visible at the extreme west. The porch is flanked by 3-light 19th-century Perpendicular windows on either side. A medieval moulded arch and hood mould remain over the south doorway. Above these is a pair of 18th-century fielded panel double gates with a ramped spiked upper rail. The south transept features a 19th-century 3-light Decorated window to the south and a cusped east lancet. The chancel is comparatively long, with two 19th-century 2-light windows and a medieval priest's door. 19th-century diagonal angle buttresses are present, and a 3-light 19th-century Decorated east window with foliated stops crowns the chancel.

The north side is battlemented and consists of six bays with late Perpendicular 4-light windows under depressed arches, divided by buttresses with two offsets. The easternmost windows are largely renewed. A screen stair turret is present with 19th-century east and west windows. The north-east vestry is flat-roofed with a parapet containing strapwork panels (as seen in the interior arcade). It has square-headed windows with saddle bars.

The interior features a five-bay north arcade with piers displaying a late variant of wavy moulding and capitals carved with various heads and foliage. The arches are depressed, with strapwork panels above the spandrels. The tower arch has shafts with separate capitals and a panelled intrados. The south chancel chantry chapel (now the organ chamber) is divided from the chancel by a panelled arch designed to receive a founder's tomb and incorporates a squint. 19th-century adjustments to the east (probably by R M Fulford), along with a tomb recess in the north sanctuary wall, create an interesting visual display. Window arches to the south are deep and mostly rebuilt; those to the north aisle are shallow and mostly date from the 16th century.

Evidence of another squint exists to the south of the chancel arch. Three piscinas survive: one on the south wall of the sanctuary with a trefoil head; one on the south wall of the south transept with a square head and ribbed canopy (damaged); and one on the south wall of the nave with a trefoil head. The church was held in the later medieval period by the Vicars Choral of Exeter Cathedral, which may account for the number of piscinas that formerly served side chapels.

The roofs include an open wagon roof to the north aisle with bosses, presumably largely from the early 16th century; a nave hammerbeam roof of five bays from 1893; and a chancel roof with scissor braces and an ogival profile.

Furnishings include a 15th-century octagonal stone font with a quatrefoil to each panel; the muntins extend downward to form the ribs of richly traceried coving and the stem. A wooden screen of five bays contains medieval wainscotting and one tier of cornice, though it was largely remodelled and altered by Reverend J L Fulford. The pulpit is polygonal and Jacobean in style, with panels below and arcading above. The communion rails are Elizabethan and were originally set up on three sides of the altar in 1640 in Laudian fashion; those parts later removed are now placed around the font. They feature Corinthian fluted balusters, newels with carved ball finials, and strapwork to the rail. Two bench ends, probably from the 15th century, are located at the west end. Some linenfold carving appears on the choir stalls, with poppyheads carved by Reverend J L Fulford. 18th-century wainscotting is present, as is good early 20th-century woodwork in the First World War Memorial screen at the east end of the north aisle.

Additional fittings include a royal coat of arms from 1799, hatchments in the transepts, and charity boards in the tower.

The monuments are significant. In the sanctuary on the north wall is a monument of circa 1610, originally free-standing but now in its own recess. It features effigies of a man and woman, he in ceremonial armour and both wearing ruffs, with animals at their feet and a defaced armorial panel. The chest has an egg and dart cornice and two plain inscription cartouches to the front with Ionic pilasters. This monument is traditionally believed to have come from Nutwell Court chapel. Sixteen good floor tomb slabs are present, including one to Sir Henry Pollexfen (died 1691, Chief Justice of Common Pleas), one to George Haydon with a fine epitaph, and one to William Martyn (died 1670) with fine lettering. A plaque with an architrave to Mary Heathfield (died 1791) is on the chancel south wall. In the north aisle on the north wall is a plaque with an urn and elegant lettering to George Barons (died 1794).

The stained glass includes high-quality 16th-century fragments in the south transept east window and other pieces in the north aisle. The east window is by Kempe.