MDE20404 - St Mary's Church, Lynton (Building)

Parish church of St. Mary, Lynton. 13th Century tower, otherwise Victorian. [1] Pevsner describes post-medieval and modern restorations and alterations. He also mentions church fittings, font, window glass ornamented in art nouveau style, church plate and monument. [2] Plan of 5-bay nave, extended to the West, with wide North and South aisles, chancel with chapel to North and organ chamber to South, plus vestry, South porch, South-West tower and North porch. the tower is 13th century, the remainder rebuilt in 1873-92, except for the nave South wall which is of 1741, and the chancel in Early English style, by E Dolby in 1868-9. The chancel was replaced in 1905. Norman font. [3] Respondent to Dean Milles questionnaire mentions rebuilding of the church during the first half of the 18th Century but no specific details are provided. [4] The parish church, although much altered, has thirteenth century origins. This is mainly evidenced by the tower, which retains two medieval bells. The church registers date from 1569, and the nave was rebuilt in 1741, suggesting a growing settlement at that time. The Parish Church as Pevsner states is “perched on the cliffs overlooking the sea,” a site it has occupied since at least the 13th Century. Apart from the tower, it was largely rebuilt in 1741, with a new chancel in Early English style added in 1869. A three-gabled east end was completed in 1905 with some unusual detail which combines a traditional Norman style with Art Nouveau, including stained glass, and uses stone from Ham Hill. The reredos and font are of Caen stone, the latter is said to be a replacement of a Norman one, and with a carved Jacobean cover. The listing details describe the mainly 19th Century fittings as “unusually fine,” and are thought to be the work of local craftsmen. They include the pulpit, stalls and altar rail. There are several monuments and panels, the earliest, of 1653, is to Hughe Wichehalse, and more recently to the victims of the 1952 flood disaster. [8] The building was visited in April 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. It received a BAR score of 6. [9] This is visible on the 1840 Lynton Tithe map. [10] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [11] The building is labelled "Virgin's Church" on the 2021 MasterMap data. [12]