Church Of St Mary

SS84NW OARE CP OARE VILLAGE 2/39 Church of St Mary

22.5.69 II* - Parish church. C15 nave and inner chancel, outer chancel added and tower rebuilt mid C19. Local stone coursed rubble C19 work, earlier parts roughcast, 3 separate slate roofs, no coped verges, decorative ridge tiles. West tower, 3-bay nave, one bay inner chancel, one bay outer chancel. Crenellated 3-stage tower, unbuttressed, string courses, single light louvred bell opening, 2-light west window under square hoodmould and pointed relieving arch, pointed arch west door; three Cl9 2 and 3-light wooden mullioned windows to nave, lancet to inner chancel, unlit south side, mullioned and transomed 2-light east window, 2-light window on north wall of outer chancel, trefoil-headed lancet to inner chancel, nave unlit; gabled single storey porch, semi-circular headed opening, inner chamfered pointed arch wooden doorway, perhaps C16 with C19 door. Interior: rendered. No chancel arch, bosses from roof reset on cambered beam to inner chancel; unmoulded pointed tower arch. Barrel vault to nave and inner chancel, Cl9 outer chancel roof. Norman circular font. C18 box pews, readers desk and pulpit. Unusual piscina in the form of a man's head clasped between 2 hands, possibly C15. Good collection of painted C18 slate tablets to Spurry family. Ten Commandments painted on two wooden boards. Unususal painted wooden panel inscribed Peter Spurrye, Churchwarden 1718 and thought to represent Moses. R D Blackmore's grandfather was rector here 1809-42 and the church attracts aany visitors as the scene of the marriage of Jan Ridd in Blackmore's book "Lorna Doone". (Photograph in NMR; Allen, Churches and Chapels of Exmoor, 1974).

Listing NGR: SS8020747311