Church Of St Mary

SX 8380 HENNOCK CHURCH ROAD (west side), Hennock

10/125 Church of St Mary - 23.8.55 GV I

Parish church. C15, restored 1875. Stone rubble with granite ashlar buttresses and tower. Slated roof. Nave, chancel, north and south aisles, west tower and south porch 3-light Perpendicular windows, heavily restored, to aisles and chancel, the north and south chancel windows differing in having 2 lights with a quatrefoil light in the head; the south chancel window seems less renewed. Both aisles have chamfered granite corbel tables. The aisles and chancel have buttresses flanking their corners, and the north aisle.has in addition butresses between the windows. South porch is similarly buttressed, and has a moulded cornice and battlemented parapet. 2-centred arched doorways, inside and out, the outer doorway moulded, the inner one chamfered. C20 ceiling to porch with centre boss of 1908, designed by R M Fulford and executed by Harry Hems. Plain 2-stage tower, the upper stage slightly narrower, being finished with an oversailing battlemented parapet pinnacle on each corner of battlements. 2-centred arched doorway in west face, with 3-light restored Perpendicular window above. Belfry has paired openings with pointed heads in each face; the east face has a smaller pair of openings for the ringing chamber. Interior: nave and chancel have 4 granite arches each side with wave-moulded piers and 4-centred heads. Plain pointed tower arch on hollow-moulded impost blocks. Doorways with pointed arches at top and bottom of tower stairs. In south wall of south aisle top and bottom doorways to former rood stairs (blocked 1875, the turret having been removed). Waggon roofs with elaborately ornamented 'glory' (ceilure) over rood position; this was redecorated with new columns in 1980s. Fittings: late Norman limestone font having square carved bowl on round pier with detached shafts at corners and moulded base. Perpendicular rood screen across nave and aisles, the loft missing; also simpler parclose screens. Much ancient colour including dado figures, cleaned and retouched by Anna Hulbert in 1980s. Some medieval stained glass survives in the head of the second window from the east in the north aisle. Some good C17 ledger slabs. Bells: 4 bells, treble and third being C15, tenor 1637 by Thomas Pennington of Exeter, second 1904 by Mears and Stainbank of London. The frame, which is old, stands on a floor of plain, thick beams, and has large, curved downward braces. They may be medieval, but there are signs that the frame has been reconstructed. Sources: Church guide by A G Lough, 1961; John Stabb, Some Old Devon Churches, 1911.

Listing NGR: SX8301880923