Description

sx 54 NW WEMBURY WEMBURY
8/191
29/3/60 Church of St Werburgh

I

Parish church. C14 Tower, rest of church rebuilt in C15 to early C16. Restored
1886. Slate rubble with granite dressings and slate roof.
Nave and narrow north aisle under one roof. Nave and chancel in one, with large
five-light Perpendicular east window. South aisle east window of three-lights with
panel and intersecting tracery. South side of south aisle pebble-dash and has C15
three-light straight-headed windows with four-centred arch lights. North aisle has
two-light windows one with ogee-headed lights. Moulded two-centred arch north and
south doorways. South porch with roll moulding to four-centred arch doorway. North
transept gable rebuilt in late C19.
Fine west tower in two stages with diagonal buttresses with set-offs, moulded string
and embattled parapet without pinnacles. Polygonal stair turret on north side of
tower with battlements. Two-light bell-openings. Three-light Perpendicular west
window and four-centred arch west doorway with carved spandrels, in deep moulded
recess with hood mould. The tower is roughcast on the south side.
Interior: South aisle in almost length of nave and chancel and has five-bay arcade,
the east bay is smaller. North aisle has four-bay arcade. Moulded four-centred
arcade arches with monolithic granite piers with four shafts and hollows between, and
with moulded capitals and bases. Double-chamfered tower arch with shafts to responds
with moulded capitals. Doorway to rood stairs on south wall of south aisle with ogee
head. Circa late C15 carved wagon roof over south aisle with bosses and remains of
colour. Circa 1500 carved unceiled wagon roof to south porch and nail-studded south
door. Good C19 carved unceiled wagon roof over nave and C19 boarded wagon roof over
chancel. Good C19 carved furnishings including screen to south chapel, choir stalls,
bench ends, pulpit, lectern and reredos. Royal Arms of 1812 on canvas in bowed
frame. Very large monument in chancel to Sir John Hele 1608 and family, with
reclining and recumbent effigies and seated figure and kneeling figures of children.
Another large monmument to Dame Elizabeth Narborough 1678 in black and white marble
with sarcophagus supported on lions, surmounted by kneeling figure of Lady Elizabeth
all within wrought iron railings. Good wall monument of Elizabeth Calmady 1694.
Wall momnument to Dorothy Rider 1710 date mutilated, oval tablet over a winged scull.
Reference: Transactions of the Devonshire Association 1909, Vol 41 page 267.

Listing NGR: SX5184548501

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17527040

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)