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St Mary

Bishops Nympton

Devon

C12 font, existing Medieval fabric mostly C15

Architectural Features

C16 although the south aisle is described as "completed" in 1621 (Tull).

Gabled porch in the first bay from the west, the late C15/early C16 mouldings of the outer doorframe matching those of the arcade and tower arch, pair of C19 timber gates with iron verticals above the middle rail and timber braces.

The tower has moulded string courses and carved grotesques below the battlementing.

The west face has a depressed 4-centred arched moulded doorframe with the remains of carving in the spandrels and a square-headed hoodmould with carved label stops

The east face has a large clock face, dated 1897, in a diagonally-set frame and a decayed medieval cusped statue niche below, the timber statue has been moved inside the church.

late C15/C16 south arcade with moulded depressed 4-centred arches, the piers with capitals to the corner shafts only.

The nave roof is a ceiled wagon, the wall plate C19 but the ribs and flat carved bosses probably early C16.

The aisle roof, also a ceiled wagon, has a C19 wall plate and more sculptural medieval bosses at the east end, including a shield-bearing angel.

The chancel roof is an extremely rare example in a Devon church of a medieval arch braced roof, rather than the common wagon.

The roof has been thoroughly restored in the C19, with new wall-plates, that on the south side carved on brackets above the easternmost bay of the arcade.

The main trusses, probably C15, have moulded arch braces, threaded purlins and a diagonally-set ridge.

The chancel has a chamfered C19 Tudor arched doorframe to the vestry below a blocked round-headed arch and a moulded arch of 1895 into the organ chamber

A medieval timber statue, about 1.5 metres high, formerly on the east face of the tower, has been re-sited above the vestry door.

Caen stone pulpit with a memorial date of 1888 with blind traceried panels divided by buttresses and a carved cornice.

The C12 font has a square bowl decorated with round-headed arches, the bowl on a cylindrical stem

Monuments A late Perpendicular chest and recess in the north wall of the chancel, possibly the tomb of John Basset of Whitechapel (q.v.), died 1485 (Cresswell) although earlier scholars have asigned it to Judge Pollard of Grilstone (q.v.).

the recess has a crank-headed arch with twisted ribbon and foliage moulding, carved spandrels and a panelled soffit.

Several C19 wall monuments include a white marble Egyptian tablet in the chancel to Mary Jones, died 1838, signed Gould, Barum

a Gothic gabled monument to the Toms family in the nave

a late C19 Gothic monument to the Balman family , also in the nave, and a white marble Gothic wall monument to John Sanger of Whitechapel, died 1834, in the south aisle.

Glass East window possibly Beer of Exeter, described as "modern" in 1844 (Davidson) south chancel window probably Alfred Beer of Exeter, memorial date of 1835 but likely to be about ten years later

east window of the South aisle with memorial date of 1888 by Clayton and Bell.

A major north Devon parish church with a fine tower and a very unusual medieval chancel roof.