Church of St Mary the Virgin

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 17/04/2018

SX 99 NW 4/142

HUXHAM Church of St Mary the Virgin

(Formerly listed as Church of St John the Baptist, previously listed as Church of St Mary)

GV II* Parish church. The original C14 church was entirely rebuilt, the chancel in 1864 by John Hayward, the nave in 1871 by Benjamin Ferrey. Thorverton stone (volcanic trap). A two-cell building: nave with west bellcote and south porch and chancel. Decorated style. Exterior: South porch set well to west lit by two lancets with deeply splayed window arches and double-chamfered arch with nook shafts. Nave with two windows to south, three to north, all two-light with tracery and hood moulds and pretty floral terminals. West bellcote twice weathered and timber bell housing (perhaps later) roof; nave roof eaves-line marked on west front by string course with trefoil relief at apex; Two-light west window with unusual central boss to head-tracery. Chancel, one two-light window to north and south, flush; three-light east window. Much of the stonework was badly decayed within a short time of the 1871 rebuilding and it is difficult to determine whether or not medieval stonework was anywhere re-used.

Interior: deep window arches; roofs with arch braces; plain chancel arch. Font: Norman, bowl with spiral roll moulding waisted by cable moulding below, the rim decorated with roundels and nailheads set up on C19 base. Glass: Medieval fragments in chancel north and south windows. Piscina: Medieval trefoil-headed, in chancel south wall. Screen: Three bays. Central entrance bay with large knotty leaves to spandrels; side bays, square-headed, with ogival reticulation above, linenfold panels below; presumably late C15 or early C16, although the tracery work seemed to Pevsner to 'look exceptionally early'. The left-hand tracery panel is a later copy of its companion.

References: Devon C19 Churches Project.

Listing NGR: SX9465097808