Chudleigh Devon
Church of St. Martin &amp; St. Mary, Chudleigh, Devon  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/96E1vQ9tE4">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/96E1vQ9tE4</a>
There has been a place of Christian worship here since before the Norman Conquest.    However no indicators of early dateable material survive within the present fabric.
In 1066 the Bishops of Exeter were rich and powerful and in 1080 Bishop Osborne selected Chudleigh as the site for a rural palace, the fragmentary remains of which may be seen in an orchard adjacent to Rock Road.    
In 1225 Bishop Brewer granted the church and advowson (the right to nominate ministers to the Benefice, including the income) to the Precentor (clergyperson in charge of cathedral music) of Exeter, who, in 1282 was provided with a house at Ugbrooke in the parish
Under the influence of the Precentors the building comprised a nave and chancel only.   This was replaced by an impressive cruciform building which was dedicated to St Martin of Tours &amp;  St Mary by Bishop Branscombe, the Lord Bishop of Exeter, on 6th November 1259.  Both the original and the second church were dressed with red  sandstone.  
A rebuilding in the Perpendicular Style took place between  1300 and 1350 and this time dressings of Beer stone were used.  The tower is thought to date from this period.  
The shape of the  church was further changed in c 1560 when the south transept was  replaced by a south aisle funded by a bequest of 1544 . This has an impressive arcade with granite  pillars with the windows having granite mullions.  
In 1574 a south door and  porch chamber were added at the west end of the south aisle and it was  from this chamber in 1608 that ‘Beaton Bucketmaker and her companie were to be removed before the next visitation of my Lord Bishop’.   (early squatters ?) 
In 1754, in order to facilitate the ‘more convenient meeting of the parishioner’s’ a vestry was built alongside the south porch.

 In the early 19c there were three galleries within the church; these were constructed ‘in consequence of the increased and increasing population of the town’ They  were respectively located against the south, the west and the north  walls. The gallery at the west end of the church was erected in 1752 and  it was completely replaced in 1847 to be extended in 1975.  It is not  known when the south gallery was removed.  The north gallery which had  been constructed by 1843 was removed in 1959; its outline is visible on  the walls.  
In 1843 the church was restored at a cost of £2,000,
An extensive re-ordering of the interior  was undertaken  in 1846 / 47 by architect David Machintosh,  Sadly the medieval fixtures, the fittings along with the Georgian  box pews were removed to be replaced by the present pews and internal  furnishings.  The present pulpit and part of the font both date from this period   However the base of  the font <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/kB67Y31T89">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/kB67Y31T89</a> – which may date from the 13c is the earliest identifiable feature of an earlier building  It would be interesting to know what  became of their earlier counterparts, both of which are referred to in  the church records.
 Additionally, the south porch and vestry were demolished  and a new vestry was built at the east end of the south aisle. The  architect was David Mackintosh. 
In 1868-70 the advowson was sold and a major restoration was started with the proceeds.   Henry Woodyer was appointed the architect when he introduced the High  Victorian style to the chancel. He solved the problem of the south  arcade which had become ten inches out of perpendicular by inserting the  two relieving arches visible high in the south aisle. The roof which  was then on the point of collapse due to wood rot was replaced by the present impressive timber structure.

The most prominent feature within the building is undoubtedly the rood screen which dates from the 15c.  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/pk5ro62u5W">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/pk5ro62u5W</a> It has been much restored since that time.  Twenty painted  panels show apostles and prophets, each accompanied by a Latin  inscription that is either a statement from the Apostles Creed or an  associated scripture verse.  - Paintings accompanied by Latin inscriptions  are a very rare combination which are found in only a few churches.  The two concluding statements of the Creed are  missing; presumably these featured on an additional section of the  screen which once extended to the south wall.  A large external buttress at this point marks the presence of a former stairway to the rood  loft.  Access to the loft from the other end was probably through the  low arch behind the pulpit that has since been filled with a memorial  tablet
There were 4 side chapels — St. Martin's, Jesus, The Blessed Virgin's, and St. Christopher's.
The  north transept has been variously known as The Lady chapel, The Jesus  Aisle, the Hunt Chapel, the Memorial Chapel and the Side Chapel.   It was refurbished in 1959 to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the dedication of the church; a piscina was exposed in the east wall during this work.
In 1975 the need to provide a more informal space within the church  was met by the creation of the fellowship area beneath the extended west  gallery.  Additionally, a new south door was created and kitchen and  toilet facilities provided.  These were modernised in 2005 and the west  door porch area was remodelled to give an open and welcoming entrance to  the building and to provide disabled.

In 2007 the platform in front of the Rood screen was added, replacing  a smaller construction.  At the same time moveable covers were  introduced on the East wall to enable the wall mounted Minton tiles to  be seen on request.

In 2016 the front two rows of pews in the nave were removed and  replaced by chairs; the nave platform was once again extended. A kitchen  servery was added to the rear of the nave at this date.

The most prominent memorial on the north wall of the chancel is to Sir Piers Courtenay 1552 &amp; wife Elizabeth Shilston 1605, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/289P2hgHe4">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/289P2hgHe4</a>  Their daughter Anne who married Anthony Clifford, was left their Ugbrooke Park estate thus beginning the long association of the Clifford family which continues to this day.
Another monument has the portrait of James Eastchurch 1681 <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/6GV358Xgun">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/6GV358Xgun</a> who married their great grand daughter Shilston Clifford 

The first reference to a musical instrument in the church was in 1562  when four pence was “paid for corde for the orgons”.  The present two  manual organ was built and installed in the West Gallery by Foster and  Andrews of Hull in 1872.  It was rebuilt in 1967 by Osmonds of Taunton,  at which time the action was converted from tracker to electric,  enabling the introduction of a detached console.  In 1990 the organ was  moved to its present position at the east end of the south aisle.

Bishop Grandisson bequeathed to the parish church “two large BELLS of  my chapel at Chudleigh”. in his will dated 1368.  The chapel referred  to was at the nearby Bishop’s Palace.  The records show that in 1553  there were “IIII belles yn the tower heire”.  A treble bell was  added in 1752 and in 1783 the five bells were taken to Penningtons of  Exeter and recast into six.  In 1923 two additional bells were presented  and all eight bells were rehung on a new steel frame.
The present clock with Chard chimes was installed in 1948, replacing  an earlier timepiece made by a local blacksmith.  This was completely refurbished in 2007.

The church registers date from the first year of the reign of  Elizabeth I.  Chudleigh also possesses a fine set of Parochial Records  and Accounts that date from 1581.  All now in the care of the Devon Record Office in Exeter.

Picture with thanks - copyright <a href="https://chudleighparishchurch.org.uk/history" rel="noreferrer nofollow">chudleighparishchurch.org.uk/history</a>
chudleigh church devon