MDE11164 - St Martin's Church, Martinhoe (Building)

SS 6680 4866. St. Martin's Church, Martinhoe. [1] The precise date of early building of the Parish church of St Martin, Martinhoe is not known. The original font, now to be seen in St Petroc's Church, Parracombe (MDE7975), is probably of Saxon origin. There was substantial rebuilding in Norman times, although completion in a form recognisable today was not until about 1200 AD. [2] A name board outside the building states the church is 11th Century. [3] A small tower is narrower than the nave, with a primitive opening of the tower to the nave (compared to Parracombe). The chancel is c.1300 (east window Victorian). Early 19th Century restoration with further work in 1866-67 by SS Teulon, with a new chancel arch, work to the porch and roofs, and reseating. A stiff-leaf-decorated font of 1864 in polychrome marble by Pulsford of Barnstaple. [4] Extensive renovations in 1866-7 when the musicians' gallery was destroyed. An aisle was added in 1867. [5] The rood screen dates to the 15th Century and is illustrated in the 1875 volume of the Exeter Diocesan Transactions. [6] An image of the altar table is recorded in Devon Notes and Queries. [7] The building was visited in September 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. It received a BAR score of 6. [8] This structure is present on the 1842 Martinhoe Tithe map. [9] The church was photographed in 1899. It is dedicated to St Martin, although the name of the village may predate the church. Its earliest parts are the chancel (late 13th or early 14th Century) and some fabric in the nave and tower and a piscina. In the early 19tH Century the congregation outgrew the church, which was enlarged and heavily restored between 1866 and 1867. The vestry was built in 1851 and housed the school until the National School was opened in 1873. [10] The church is depicted and labelled on 2020 MasterMap data. [11] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [12]