Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary, Woolfardisworthy

A small parish church with medieval origins, completely rebuilt in 1845 by J Hayward. The structure employs mostly snecked volcanic stone and mudstone, with a tower of rougher rubble laid to rough courses. Bathstone and volcanic ashlar provide decorative detail throughout, with Beerstone used for internal features and slate roofs throughout.

The church comprises a nave with a lower and narrower chancel, a west tower, a vestry adjoining the side of the chancel, and a south porch, all designed in the Perpendicular Gothic style. The tower rises in 2 stages with low buttresses diagonal to the west end and an angle buttress to the east. It carries an embattled parapet. Some of the tower masonry may be 15th-century work, but all detail was renewed in 1845. The tower features 2-light trefoil-headed belfry windows and a trefoil-headed single light to the ringing floor on the south side. A square stair turret projects from the north side. The west side of the tower contains a 2-centred Bathstone arch with moulded surround and roll stops, enclosing a studded plank door with massive wrought iron strap hinges decorated with fleur-de-lys finials. Above the door is a 3-light window with moulded hoodmould and large human face labels; the Perpendicular tracery is possibly original 15th-century work. Three windows to the south side of the nave are all Bathstone, each with 2 lights and cinquefoil heads. The south porch is positioned left of centre with kneelers and coping to its gable end and a moulded Bathstone outer arch. A buttress stands right of centre, and an angle buttress at the right end. The chancel's south side features a cinquefoil-headed Bathstone lancet. The east end has diagonal buttresses and a 3-light window with moulded hoodmould and human face labels incorporating original 15th-century Perpendicular tracery. The chancel roof extends on the north side over the vestry, which features a square-headed fixed pane window containing leaded diamond panes on its east side. The north side of the nave has three 2-light windows similar to those on the south and buttresses between them.

Interior: The nave has an open 5-bay roof with trusses featuring moulded arch-bracing springing from moulded corbels, a moulded wall plate, and square-sectioned purlins. The chancel retains an ornate boarded wagon roof of apparently good quality but heavily restored late 15th- or early 16th-century carpentry. It displays moulded ribs with panels featuring slightly projecting moulded straight cross braces, carved oak bosses at all intersections, and decorative crestwork along the edges of the ribs, purlins, and braces. The richly carved wall plate features a deeply undercut fruiting vine pattern with crestwork. This roof may be derived from a former rood screen. The Beerstone chancel arch has a double-chamfered arch ring, with the inner chamfer having moulded capitals. A plain high tower arch has a chamfered soffit. The nave floor is marble, while the chancel has stone flags. A Beerstone piscina with cinquefoil head occupies the south side of the chancel.

All furnishings and fittings are 19th-century Gothic style. These include an oak altar rail supported on an open Gothic-style arcade, similar style choir stalls and lectern, and a Beerstone Gothic-style pulpit with carved ogee-headed panels on each side. The oak pews appear to reuse sections of earlier box pews. A Beerstone Perpendicular-style font has panelled sides with cusping and 4-leaf enrichment. The church features 19th-century painted decoration including Gothic-style lettering texts around the chancel arch, piscina arch, and on the south side of the chancel. The chancel roof is brightly coloured with blue panels and gold leaf stars, with gold and red highlighting applied to the ribs, bosses, and braces. The east window is flanked by painted Commandment boards with illuminated lettering.

Monuments and memorials include a mid-19th-century carved Beerstone monument in 16th-century Gothic style on the south side of the chancel in memory of the Reverend John Dole (died 1797) and his family. A simple early 18th-century rectangular marble plaque with moulded plaster bolection frame on the north side of the nave commemorates Rev. John Croker (died 1719) and includes a sonnet ellegy. A Gothic-style wall brass on the north side memorialises the Rev Anthony Bell (died 1904). An Art Nouveau brass memorialises H. R. Beer of Okareka, Rotorua, New Zealand (died 1911) and features bas relief angels gazing at a sunset over the sea. Stained glass is by Bear of Bristol and Warrington.