The parish church is dedicated to St.
Mary the Virgin. It comprises a chancel, nave, and north
and south aisles. The north arcade has five four-centred
arches, with monolith granite pillars; the south arcade
also has five arches, three of which are obtuse pointed,
and two obtuse four-centred. The pillars are of
Polyphant stone and granite.
The entrances are a south porch and a priest's door; the
north door is not used. The tower is of granite ashlar;
it has three stages and is 99 feet in height, including
its pinnacles. The church, built in 1643, contains six
bells which were hung in 1731, and is finished with
battlements and crocketed pinnacles which terminate with
crosses.
The bells were re-hung and repaired in 1887 when the
tower was also renovated at a cost of £168. Click HERE
for details of the bells.
St. Mary’s
ancient Church stands on the footings of its Norman predecessor
in the original St. Mary’s Wyke. Now, as then, all visitors are given a warm welcome.
The Rectory The Glebe Week St Mary Holsworthy Devon EX22 6UY
Telephone:
01288 341134
On Sunday
13th May 2007, Revd Rob was one of five new Honorary
Canons installed at Truro Cathedral by the Rt Revd
Bishop Bill Ind, occupying the seat of St. Winwaloe.
A large congregation witnessed this
service including a coach full of 'supporters' from Week
St. Mary parish and beyond.
On Saturday 30th June 2008, at
Truro Cathedral, James Rugg was ordained as Revd James
Rugg, Curate to the Week St. Mary Circle of Parishes.
Many supporters travelled to Truro cathedral for this
special ceremony conducted by Bishop Roy.
James is pictured here, following
his ordination at Truro Cathedral, with his wife Fiona
and daughter Coco.
• On
Sunday 28th June 2009, at Week St. Mary Church, James
was ordained priest by Bishop Roy Screech of St.
Germans.
Revd James Rugg
4 Market Place Week St Mary Holsworthy Devon EX22 6XT
Tel: 01288 341089
• On Saturday
30th June 2008, at Truro Cathedral, George Rowe became
the Revd George Rowe, Curate (non-stipendiary), to the
Week St. Mary Circle of Parishes. A coach full of
supporters travelled from Week St. Mary to Truro for
this special ceremony. George performed his first
official duty at Week St. Mary church on Sunday 1st July
2007.
• On
Sunday 29th June 2008, at Week St. Mary Church, George
was ordained priest by Bishop Roy Screech of St.
Germans.
• George was presented with a gift
from his many friends.
Revd George Rowe
Telephone: 01288 361712
• On
Saturday 30th June 2008, at Truro Cathedral, Richard
Ward-Smith became the Revd Richard Ward-Smith, Curate
(non-stipendiary), to the Week St. Mary Circle of
Parishes.
• A coach full of supporters travelled from Week St.
Mary to Truro cathedral for this special ceremony
conducted by Bishop Roy.Richard was also in attendance,
with other selected clergy, at Week St. Mary church for
the ordination of George Rowe by Bishop Roy, as detailed
above.
• On
Sunday 28th June 2009, at Week St. Mary Church, Richard
was ordained priest by Bishop Roy Screech of St.
Germans.
Parochial Church Council Secretary: Mrs Linda Cobbledick,
Wyke House, Week St. Mary, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6XA Treasurer: Peter Johnstone, Great Hills,
Week St. Mary, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6XJ
Every Christmas the parishioners and friends of Week St.
Mary Circle of Parishes collect goods for distribution
amongst those less fortunate, including orphanages,
schools and children's homes and the Family Refuge
Centre in Truro.
- - - - - - - -
Seen here are some boxes
collected as a result of the Samaritans Purse Shoe Box Appeal
2009
The Parish Church
There are no remains of the Norman
Church but, says Mr. Sedding, “a fair proportion of
unworked stone from the Ventergan Quarry (a favourite
stone with the Norman builders) has been worked into the
later walls. The fragments of moulded stone around the
exterior of the east window indicate thirteenth century
workmanship, the window itself being modem. The piscina
in the chancel is also of late thirteenth century
workmanship. These remnants, of course, show that a
church stood here at that period.”
We may assume therefore that on the present site there
stood first a Norman Church and afterwards one built in
the thirteenth century.
The outstanding features
of the present Church’ suggest it was enlarged as
follows. The first addition, late in the fourteenth
century, was the south aisle with its three arches of
polyphant stone starting from the west end of the
chancel. Fifty years later, about 1450, the north aisle
was constructed with granite pillars and arches, and to
match this the south aisle was extended two bays
eastward. This accounts for the fact that the two
chancel arches on the south side are of granite, while
the westerly one rises from a polyphant pillar.
Probably, too, it is due to these alterations that the
east window of the nave is not in the centre of the
gable. The last additions were the south porch, with
“parvise,” or priest’s chamber, above it, and the fine
granite tower rising nearly 100 feet from which a superb
view can be obtained.
The three double bands of carving on the tower are
exceptionally good, and high up on the west side may be
seen an unusual subject, two hounds in full cry after a
hare. This makes one wonder whether even in these days
Week St. Mary Revel or Parish Feast began with a hunt as
it does now.
The Church was thoroughly
restored between the years 1876-1881 at a cost of around
£2,000. The architect said that, “The nave and church
roofs are in a very dilapidated condition, and must be
entirely removed and replaced with new wagon shaped
roofs,” but, fortunately, it was possible to retain and
restore the line old roofs in both aisles. The “linen
fold” pulpit was also restored. The original mullions
and tracery of the windows having been destroyed, these
with the exception of the chancel window were all fitted
with new mullions and fine tracery through the
generosity of a parishioner (Mr. C. Winbolt).There is
part of an old bench end, and also a portion of what was
once a splendid chancel screen, fixed to the wall of the
south aisle. The entrance to the rood stairs is on the
north side of the Church. In the porch are some carved
fragments which are part either of an early fifteenth
century reredos or a founder’s tomb. The font is
octangular and has panels of Gothic tracery, the Tudor
rose, and a fleur-de-lis.
The Litany desk was made in 1907 from pieces of old
oak, which were believed to be pieces of the old chancel
screen. In 1887 the lectern was put in the Church, and a
beautiful stained glass window by Kempe was given as a
memorial to the wife of the Rev. G. H. Hopkins, Rector.
The oak choir seats were put in in 1891, and the organ,
the work of Messrs. Bevington & Sons, in 1903.
The sun-dial over the Church door was found at the
Rectory, being used as a step to the “old schoolroom.”
The tower screen, the work of Mr. John Northcott, of
Ashwater, was erected in 1912. The Bishop’s chair was
given in 1924, as a memorial to the Rev. S. H. Haslam,
Rector from 1900 to 1919.
The re-seating of the Church in English oak was begun in
1926 and finished in January, 1930, at a cost of £600.
Five of the seats were given as memorials of members of
old and respected families in the parish, namely :
Badcock, Coles, Hutchings, Martyn, and Treleven.
The carving on the mouldings of the bench ends was given
by Mr. and Mrs. J. Bone. The heiress of the Marrais
family married a member of the Rolle family, and on the
floor of the present vestry are memorial stones to both
these families.
An epitaph in the Church to one
who died in 1679 is worth recording:
“Since man’s compared to an inverted tree
To this bless’d soule that name applied be.
Sweet words, pure thoughts, good works with her endear’d,
Her leaves, her blossom, and her fruit appear’d.
Her pith was Vertue, Charity her rinde,
One verdant branch from her is left behind
Death hath not cut her downe, who rather is
To be a tree of life in Paradice.
Short was her life, yet lives she ever,
Few were her daies, yet dyes she never.
She breathed awhile, then went to rest,
God takes them soonest, whom he loveth best.”
Rectors of the
Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary
Richard De Grangiis
William De Helperby
Robert
John De Alkyngton
Richard Bolham
William Aylsham
Ralph De Pylaton
John Grey
John Gorwelle, LL.D.
William Hals
John Gorwelle, Jnr. LL.B.
William Collyne
John Hawke
William Wase
George Sydnam
John Halt
Robert Peech
John Mulsworth
John Greynefylde *
John Kerslake
William Langford
John Biston
Isaac Rouse
Joseph Trewinnard
Joseph Ferdinand
John Turner
Thomas Bedford
Edward Baynes
William Galter Gee
James Saunders
George Hanslip Hopkins
John Dawson Peake
William Wilkinson
Samuel Holker Haslam
Charles Thomas Whitmell
Maurice Victor Hardy
Arthur Hambrook
Noel Alexander F. Townend
William Thomas Soper
William Thomas Simpson
John Gregory Edwards
Ivan Meads
Robin C. W. Dickenson
----
----
----
----
----
*
John Granville, who was Rector of Kilkhampton from 1524
to 1580, became at the same time Rector of Week St. Mary in 1558 and was also Vicar of
Launcells and of Morwenstow.
(Copyright Notice)
This extract has been taken from the book "A ROMANCE IN WEEK ST.
MARY" by M.V.H. & A.L.S. published by Frederick Warne & Co Ltd
1930. "Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders
and they will be duly acknowledged if they come forward"
