All Saints Churchyard, Malborough, Devon - Churchyard Cemeteries on Waymarking.com

The churchyard of All Saints Church, Malborough, a small village in South Devon.

The existing church appears to have been founded about 1200 AD. No ancient record of the dedication title of the building has yet come to hand. The title of All Saints has apparently been in use only since last century.
The South Porch: Entrance to the church is normally here, passing under the 13th century stone vaulted roof in the Early English style. The four faces carved on the central boss of the roof may, it has been suggested, represent the Four Evangelists. The Holy Water Stoup remains to the right of the inner doorway. There is a room above the porch, with one small window in the perpendicular style in its South wall. This suggests that the room was probably added in the second half of the 15th century. The entrance to the stair leading to the porch room is inside the Church to the West of the South door.

The Lady Chapel flanks the Chancel on the South. The blocked-up arch in the Eastern splay of the window by the doorways of the Rood Loft staircase, at the West end of the Chapel, is thought possibly to have been a window to give additional light to the staircase. The Chapel was furnished & restored to use in 1906, & refurnished as a memorial in 1951. The piscina recess will be noted at the East end of the South wall.

The Chancel may be entered from the East end of the Lady Chapel. The stone reredos behind the high altar dates from about 1840, & is very typical of the so-called "Gothick" work of that period. The ogee headed piscina to the right of the altar is decorated work of the 14th century. So also are the slight remains of canopied sedilia in the wall above & to the right of the piscina. These were destroyed by the 15th century piercing of the South wall to open into the then newly built Chancel aisle. The Victorian choir stalls now close the lower parts of the original doorways in the 15th century parclose screens. At the West end of the Chancel, above the pulpit & the Vicar's stall, can be seen the openings in the walls by which to pass from one section of the roof loft to another.

The North Aisle of the Chancel has a late 15th century piscina, indicating the position of the original altar, & can be observed in the South East wall. An organ, bought by public subscription, was first placed here in 1864.

The late Norman font stands at the West end of the aisle. The central column supporting the square, or "table-top" bowl is original. The four corner shafts have been renewed.

The pointed arch between the nave & tower, & the tower & spire are of the 13th century. A peal of six bells, of various dates from 1753 onwards, hangs in the tower. The bells were recast & retuned in 1973. Tower & spire can be seen over wide distances by land & sea. Up to 1853 the spire was covered with slates. Since then, it has, like the tower, needed to be made weathertight with a skin of cement. The local stone, of which the Church is built, is unfortunately, very porous.

The Nave underwent an extensive reconstruction in the perpendicular style in the second half of the 15th century. Columns & arches (with one exception in the North-East corner) are of Beer stone from the famous quarry on the East Devon coast.

The 15th century reconstruction of the church included lengthening the North & South aisles to form two large Chapels on either side of the Chancel from which they are separated by oak parclose screens. An oak Rood Screen was erected at the West end of the Chancel & its aisles, & a staircase turret built against the wall of the South aisle to provide access from an upper doorway to the Rood Loft, or Gallery, running the whole length of the top of the screen.

Finally the splendid panoramic view from the North side of the Church should not be missed.

Name of church or churchyard: All Saints Approximate Size: Medium (51-100)

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Date Logged Log User Rating   07/30/2008 plymplodder visited it

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