Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary, Buckland Filleigh

Parish church with the earliest fabric dating from the Norman period, supplemented by late 15th or early 16th century additions. The building was restored in 1876 and 1887. The church comprises a nave, chancel, north aisle, west tower and south porch, constructed of stone rubble walls with a gable-ended slate roof.

The nave and tower preserve Norman fabric, though a major remodelling took place in the late 15th or early 16th century when the north aisle and south porch were added. The wagon roofs were reconstructed during the Victorian restorations of 1876 and 1887.

Exterior features include a three-stage battlemented tower with obelisk finials and simple roundheaded belfry openings. There is no west doorway. A two-light Decorated style window of late 19th century date occupies the west elevation. A lean-to vestry of late 19th or early 20th century date is built against the north side of the tower.

The north aisle is battlemented and contains three windows of late 15th or early 16th century date with three lights and granite mullions. The westernmost has two-centred arched lights with a square hoodmould. The central window may be restored, featuring ogee-moulded stepped lights without a hoodmould. The easternmost window has cinquefoiled lights with a hoodmould. A three-light Decorated style window of 19th century date lights the east end of the aisle. The chancel east window is similar but larger.

The chancel and nave are also battlemented. Windows on the south side are 19th century restorations in the Early English style, comprising one and three-light openings with ogee heads. To the west of the porch stands a 15th century two-light cinquefoiled window. The south porch is simply gabled with a plain rubble two-centred arch having chamfered imposts. Various lead rainwater heads and downpipes on the exterior, probably of 18th century date, survive on the church.

The porch interior contains an old wagon roof with moulded ribs and small carved bosses. A simple Norman south doorway features a round arch with chamfered imposts and jambs. The internal walls of the church are unplastered.

A three-bay arcade of granite piers of Pevsner A-type separates the nave from the aisle, with moulded cup capitals and four-centred double-chamfered arches. There is no chancel arch. A simple rounded tower arch opens to the tower. The nave roof has been renewed, but the old wagon roof survives over the aisle, complete with moulded ribs, carved bosses and wall-plate.

Old carved bench ends survive displaying the emblems of the Passion, the Keys of St Peter, and a coat of arms, possibly that of the Giffards. The pulpit appears to be constructed from old carved bench ends. A simple late medieval octagonal font of Caen stone is preserved.

Two good wall memorials of later 17th century date survive. One at the west end of the aisle has a slate plaque with a segmental pediment above and columns either side with stiff leaf capitals. Above the pediment are the arms of the Fortescues with a Latin inscription to Henry Fortescue. The other memorial stands over the south doorway with a slate plaque, scrolled pediment with Fortescue arms at the centre, Ionic columns flanking the plaque, and a heraldic shield below. It is dated 1655 and commemorates John Fortescue.

A small early 19th century memorial to Henry Bearn is located on the north wall, adjacent to a pedimented memorial dated 1752 to Mary Spooner, daughter of William Fortescue, with an epitaph beneath. An obelisk-shaped memorial commemorates John Inglett Fortescue, who died in 1840. At the east end of the aisle is a bas relief memorial to Ann Fortescue, who died in 1815, depicting two mourning men and executed by the sculptor Flaxman.

Medieval glass is preserved in a south window, depicting the arms of Fortescue impaled with those of Courtenay of Molland, Filleigh, Dennis of Orleigh and Sackbye.