Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary, Diptford

Parish church with probable 13th-century fabric and much rebuilding in the early 14th century. The aisles are possibly 15th century, with a vestry of circa 1840. The church was restored in 1870 and 1908.

Materials and Construction The building is constructed of local slate rubble with 19th-century granite windows, except for the 19th-century east window which is limestone. The west tower is rendered with a concrete-clad spire. The roofs are covered in Welsh slate with gabled ends.

Plan The nave and chancel are built as one continuous space. Narrow north and south four-bay arcades run along each side, each beginning only one bay from the east end. The west tower has a stair turret in the east angle on the south side. A porch stands at the west end of the south aisle. The vestry occupies the south side of the west tower in the angle with the north aisle. An organ chamber is positioned on the north side of the chancel in the angle with the north aisle.

Historical Development The first rector was appointed in 1226. In 1336 Bishop Grandisson dedicated the high altar, suggesting the chancel had been rebuilt, though it may well contain 13th-century fabric judging by the south window. There must have been considerable rebuilding of the early 13th-century church in the early 14th century. The original early 13th-century church would have comprised a nave and chancel and possibly a west tower as well.

The present west tower may be of 13th-century origin or early 14th century with an integral spire. The broach spire is certainly 14th century, but owing to the rendered internal masonry it is difficult to determine whether it is contemporary with the tower itself.

Dating the aisles is problematic. Although they are thought to be 15th century, the arcades with their octagonal piers and two-centred arches seem to be earlier and perhaps part of the early 14th-century rebuilding. Later, perhaps late 15th-century carving appears on some of the capitals, as do buttresses on the north and south sides of the aisles. Furthermore, the capitals of the piers between the nave and chancel have been cut away, possibly in the 15th century to accommodate the rood loft. A church with two aisles would have been unusually large for this part of Devon in the 14th century, which raises considerable doubt about a date earlier than the 15th century for the aisles.

The date of the south porch is also uncertain, for although it looks early, it must have been built after the aisles. If the aisles were not 15th-century additions, they seem to have been reroofed together with the nave and chancel in the 16th century.

In 1848 the Exeter Diocesan Architectural Society described it as "an interesting Decorated church in a state of dilapidation chancel is destroyed and an unsightly vestry on the north west". The vestry north of the west tower was probably added in circa 1840. The church was restored in 1870, but the seating inside appears to be mid-19th century. Another restoration took place in 1908 when the north aisle was supposed to have been reroofed (according to Kelly's Directory) but was actually only repaired. However, 1908 is probably when the organ chamber was added to the north of the chancel.

Exterior The south aisle has three south windows and one east window. These are late 19th-century granite three-light windows with two-centred arches and Decorated-style tracery. Three very large buttresses stand between the windows with slate weathered set-offs and hollow-chamfered plinth mouldings. The west end window of the south aisle has a moulded Beerstone two-centred arch and jambs, blocked in the 19th century with a lancet inserted. The south doorway has single chamfered slate jambs and a Beerstone depressed centred arch with a relieving arch. The 19th-century flush panel round-headed door has wrought iron false hinges and studs.

The north porch has a narrow doorway with a two-centred almost round arch with dressed slate voussoirs and imposts and a chamfered slate wall plate. The north aisle has four windows similar to those in the south aisle but without any east and west end windows. Two large buttresses stand at the east end of the north side of the aisle with plinths and slate weathered set-offs; the right-hand (west) of the two is wider. Between and immediately to the right of the buttresses there is a plinth. The rest of the north aisle is of a different character and most of the slate wall plate is missing, which suggests the wall may have been partly rebuilt and the rood stair turret demolished.

The chancel has a large late 19th-century Perpendicular-style east window of three lights. The gable above has been rebuilt. There is a 19th-century lancet in the large 13th-century blocked window on the south side with a priest's doorway to the left (west) with a 19th-century volcanic stone four-centred arch head and similarly arched 19th-century flush panel door.

The west tower is rendered and has a pronounced batter and diagonal buttresses on the west corners with slate weathered set-offs. The buttresses reach to only just above half the height of the tower, as does the rectangular stair turret to the east of the south side. The turret has a lean-to cemented slate roof and very small square and slit windows. The tower itself has a lancet on each side of the belfry and a smaller lancet on the north and south of the ringing stage below. It has a 15th-century Perpendicular four-centred arch west window (the mullions renewed) with a hoodmould and a simple chamfered granite two-centred arch doorway with corner stops and 19th-century flush panel double doors. There is a square label set high above the doorway.

The circa early 14th-century broach spire is clad in concrete, accentuating the lunettes. A weathervane with ball and pennant stands at the apex. A wrought iron clock face is mounted on the south side of the spire.

Interior The interior walls of the church are plastered and whitewashed. There may be some old plaster with the possibility of murals. A small piece of circa early 19th-century painted text survives on the north wall of the north aisle.

The four-bay north and south aisles have double-chamfered two-centred arches with octagonal granite monolithic piers and moulded Beerstone capitals. One respond capital and two pier capitals in the south arcade have what looks like 15th-century foliage carving, and another pier is prepared for carving. The tall tower arch is unmoulded and has chamfered imposts.

Exposed chamfered rear arches exist at the west end window of the north aisle and the west window on the north side of the north aisle. The 13th-century south window of the chancel also has a chamfered rear arch and nook shafts with moulded capitals, bases and shaft rings. The shafts are polished marble replacements.

At the west end of the nave, a chamfered two-centred arch doorway leads into the tower stair turret, which has a stone newel stair and similar doorway at the top.

The north and south aisles, nave and chancel all have ceiled wagon roofs with moulded ribs and wall-plates and bosses at the intersections. As they are ceiled, the roof structure cannot be seen, but the moulded ribs and some of the wall-plates in both the aisles appear to be 16th century. The nave also has some old ribs but many seem to have been replaced. The north aisle is said to have been reroofed in 1908. There may well be early fabric in all the roof structures. The roof has a plaster vaulted ceiling concealing its roof structure entirely. The north wall of the chancel has been demolished, probably in 1908 for the organ chamber.

Furnishings The carved rood screen is the work of Herbert Read. It has A-type (Pevsner) tracery with a canopy over the centre. Small fragments of the old screen are worked into the rebuilt parclose screens. Cresswell mentions a rood stair on the north side which is now blocked.

The glazed classical-style tower screen is 20th century and was brought from Newton House, Newton St Cyres in about 1981.

The nave and aisles and choir are entirely fitted out with panelled box pews which appear mid-19th century or possibly 1820. The polygonal wooden pulpit is probably contemporary. The organ by Henry Bryceson of London may also be of this date. In the tower is a clock of 1886 by Gillett and Co of Croydon.

The carved wooden reredos, altar rail and eagle lectern are 20th century. There is a restored late 17th-century altar table in the chapel at the east end of the south aisle with barley-sugar legs, moulded stretcher and a drawer. A new top has been placed over the old top.

The octagonal granite font has lancet-shaped panels on the sides of the bowl. Cresswell says it is "modern". The choir has 19th-century patterned tiles. The nave and aisles have slate floors. A local marble ledger stone in the north aisle commemorates Richard Hele of Sterte died 1614 and other members of the Hele family. A marble ledger stone to Charles Taylor died 1770 in the chancel is probably reset.

Monuments The best is a wall monument to Ann Taylor of Maridge died 1763 aged 16. It is a fashionable classical design in carved white and coloured marbles with a broken pediment above containing an urn and a coat of arms below. Opposite on the north wall of the chancel is a monument to W. Hare of Courtisknowle (Curtisknowle) died 1820. A small brass on the east wall of the north aisle commemorates Honor and Willikelme Vowell, dated 1595.

At the west end of the nave is an oval wall monument with an urn to Matilda, wife of Reverend Henry Hare of Courtisknowle, died 1823, and a wall monument to Robert Dawson, died 1876, with a laurel wreath tablet superimposed over crossed standards.

Stained Glass All the glass is clear except for the circa mid-19th-century glass in the east window, south chancel window and the west window of the south aisle. The easternmost north window of the north aisle is dated 1919. The west window in the tower seems to have some medieval glass in the tracery; the rest of the glass is mid-19th century in this window.

Bells The six bells were recast in 1822.