Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church located in Bickleigh. The west tower dates from the 15th century, while the rest of the church was largely rebuilt in 1838 by Charles Fowler for Sir Ralph Lopes of Maristow. It underwent further restoration in 1882 by J D Sedding. The structure is made of stone rubble with granite dressings and has slate roofs. The nave and chancel are combined, flanked by north and south aisles featuring Perpendicular style three-light windows and a four-light east window. There is a south porch, and the south doorway, dating from the 15th or 16th century, is made of moulded granite with a four-centred arch and cusped spandrels.

The large 15th-century west tower is built in three stages and has set-back buttresses on the first two stages, topped with a moulded embattled parapet that includes gargoyles on the north and south sides. It features large, slightly corbelled corner turrets that are crenellated and have crocketed finials, as well as two-light Perpendicular ball openings. A polygonal stair turret is located at the north-west corner of the tower. Above the heavily moulded west doorway, which has a two-centred arch and quatrefoils in the spandrels, is a three-light Perpendicular west window.

Inside, the church has Perpendicular four-bay arcades from 1838, with four-centred arches and octagonal piers on tall bases. There is no chancel arch, but there is a 15th-century tower arch. The church features a 19th-century arch-braced cellar roof and 19th-century benches, which may have earlier carved bench ends. The font from the 16th century has a crenellated octagonal bowl with carved flat foliage and a bulbous stem, while a crude tub-shaped font from the 12th century displays zigzag carving. Notable monuments include those for Slanning from 1599 and Sir Nicholas Slanning from 1643, located over the south door, as well as 19th-century wall memorials to the Lopes family, primarily in the north aisle, including one for Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes of Maristow, created in 1831 by Westmacott the younger.