Church Of St David

Church of St David

Parish church at Ashprington. A 12th-century font and fragment of a Norman mask are all that survive of the original Norman church. The 13th or 14th-century west tower represents the earliest substantial element. The remainder of the church was entirely rebuilt in the 15th century, comprising a new nave with integral chancel, four-bay north and south aisles, and a two-storey south porch. The church underwent restoration campaigns in 1845, 1865 and 1886. In 1845 a vestry was added on the north side of the chancel. In 1865 chancel improvements were made by Thomas Lidstone of Dartmouth, who may have built the larger vestry on the south side of the chancel, though this could alternatively have been added during the 1886 restoration when the church was reseated. The reroofing and Perpendicular-style refenestration probably date to 1886.

The church is constructed in local stone rubble with red sandstone dressings and 19th-century Bathstone windows. The roof over nave and chancel is slate, with lead flats over the aisles.

The tall unbuttressed west tower rises in four diminishing stages, topped with an embattled parapet and small single-light bell openings with arched heads and slate louvres. The third stage has a similar flat-headed louvred opening on the north side only. The second stage has a louvred opening on the east side, partly concealed by the nave roof, a small granite-framed opening on the west side, and a 15th-century three-light window above in volcanic stone with cusped Perpendicular tracery. A large polygonal stair turret on the north-east corner of the tower rises to the third stage only, with a crude conical stone roof and square-headed window slits. A large clock face on the south side of the third stage, with Roman numerals, blocks a window light.

The four-bay north and south aisles are identical, with tall sandstone parapets featuring moulded battlements and thin buttresses with set-offs. The plinth continues around the buttresses. The north aisle has a polygonal stair turret towards the east end with battlements, moulded string course and a quatrefoil light. All aisle windows are 19th-century Perpendicular-style four-light windows except the east and west end windows, which have three lights. The window over the blocked north doorway also has three lights but with a higher sill level.

The chancel has a similar three-light south window; the north window is blocked. The large late 19th-century five-light east window displays Perpendicular-style tracery with a crenellated transom.

On the north side of the chancel stands a circa mid-19th-century small low vestry with buttresses, set-offs and a brick two-centred arch doorway in the gable end. On the south side of the chancel, in the angle with the south aisle, is a larger late 19th-century vestry with battlements matching those of the aisles, a Tudor-style doorway and three-light window.

On the north side of the tower, in the angle with the north aisle, is a 19th-century lean-to sexton's outshut.

The two-storey south porch is positioned one bay from the west end of the south aisle. It has a similar embattled parapet, though higher than that of the aisle. The floor to the porch chambers has been removed, but the polygonal stair turret in the east angle survives with battlements and a quatrefoil light. The chamfered rounded arch porch doorway has pyramid stops, as does the chamfered two-centred arch inner doorway; the door is late 19th-century.

Internally, except for the tower, all walls are plastered. The hollow-chamfered Beerstone rear-arches are exposed. The four-bay north and south aisles are constructed in Beerstone with Pevsner type B piers comprising four shafts with wave mouldings between, moulded bases and carved capitals over the shafts only, allowing the wave moulding to continue into the two-centred arches. All shaft capitals are carved with foliage except the west piers, which have bell-shaped capitals. The inner shafts on the east piers have been replaced with polished Devon marble shafts.

The doorway to the porch chamber has a chamfered two-centred arch with pyramid stops; the rood stair doorway in the north aisle has a double cyma moulding. Both doors are late 19th-century.

The tall tower arch is crude and unmoulded, a two-centred arch without imposts. The doorway to the tower stair turret is on the nave side of the arch with a simple two-centred arch. The doorway from the stair turret to the ringing chamber has a chamfered two-centred arch with pyramid stops.

Church floors were tiled in the late 19th century. The continuous waggon roof over the nave and chancel appears to be a late 19th-century replacement, featuring moulded ribs and carved bosses. The flat aisle roofs are keeled.

A small 15th-century piscina on the south side of the chancel has a cusped ogee arch. Another 15th-century cusped ogee piscina stands in the east end wall of the north chancel chapel, probably the chantry of Thomas Coterell.

Late 19th-century benches have carved ends. Chair stalls date to circa 1900. An early 20th-century altar rail and traceried panelling in the sanctuary incorporates a carved wooden double sedilia on the north side with elaborate canopies and carved angels on the arms. A richly carved wooden reredos with a canopy features a crucifix, figures of the Apostles and pinnacles above. The altar table dates to early 20th century and sits on a marble base.

Although a rood screen is mentioned in an 1848 report, it is not noted by Davidson. Milles (1755–70) mentions an old rood loft bearing the arms of the Yard family. Only early 20th-century parclose screens by Herbert Read now survive. A richly carved octagonal pulpit of 1909 in 15th-century style features nodding ogee canopies over figures of the Apostles. The carved oak eagle lectern also dates to 1909 and is likewise by Herbert Read. According to Cresswell, Royal Arms once hung over the tower arch, which was crossed by a gallery; neither survives.

The fine 12th-century sandstone font has a large round bowl carved with a frieze of palmettos, cable and roll mouldings above, with a moulded sandstone stem and base.

Monuments include a small brass next to the south doorway to Wylliam Sumaster (died 1589) with inscription and two brass shields above, reset upside-down. A wall monument on the north wall of the chancel with Corinthian columns commemorates Susanna Marshall (died 1709). Another wall monument on the south side of the chancel bears a white marble female figure and an urn in relief, unsigned, to Jane Pownall (died 1770). At the east end of the south aisle is a wall monument to Henry Blockhaller of Sharpham (died 1684) with Corinthian columns and arms above. A wall monument to John Kelland of Painsford (died 1679) and his wife Susanna (died 1648) sits in the north aisle, comprising a large marble cartouche with an epitaph by John Weston of Exeter, dated 1692; the top is missing. An 18th-century wall monument with a broken pediment hangs above the tower arch.

The east window is by Beer of Exeter. The east window on the south side of the south aisle contains patterned glass.

Of the original peal of five bells removed in 1975, one has been rehung. It was cast in 1790 at Whitechapel with the inscription: Thomas Mears, late Lester, Pack and Chapman – fecit 1790.