Bishopsteignton Devon
Church of St John the Baptist, Bishopsteignton Devon, built  of red sandstone rubble with white freestone dressings.   The original dedication is uncertain - . It was referred to as “All Saints” in 1667.
There may well have been a Saxon church here when the manor was owned by Leofric, former chaplain to Edward the Confessor, and by the 1086 Domesday Survey, the first of the bishops of Exeter who built a Summer palace close by,  not far from a landing point on the River Teign . 
The original 12c plan of the church which replaced it had a nave, chancel and crossing tower.  This was extended in the 15c by a 5-bay north aisle, (however there are no extant evidence of transepts). 

By 1814 the church was partly ruinous - Illustrations of 1810 – 1812 show the church as a low, slightly shambling building with a heavy, squat, central tower flanked on the south east corner by a tall slender turret. Indications of a change in roofline to the chancel can be seen in one of them, as can some apparent damage to the north east corner of the tower. Views from the opposite end show that most of the north aisle roof is missing. The building itself is a fascinatingly jumbled mix, and looks, potentially, to have a very old core. Cresswell (1912) suggests that the central tower, demolished by 1815, was of Saxon or early Norman origin and possibly flanked by transepts. This type of cruciform plan is quite typical of important Saxon and early Norman churches.

By this time the village had been extended by large villas of a wealthy merchant class and money was to be had for substantial rebuilding in 1815 by architect William Burgess of Exeter, when the crossing tower was taken down 
and some of the old stone re-used in the new three stage battlemented tower built at the west end of the north aisle.  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/F4a3U057M1">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/F4a3U057M1</a>
The chancel was enlarged in 1825 by architect Andrew Patey of Teignmouth ; Window tracerey being copied from the medieval ones. 
Restoration of 1854 added the north chancel aisle / organ chamber &quot;from the designs of Mr J.W. Rowell of Teignmouth&quot; 
Further alterations to the tower took place in 1863 when the spire was removed and the upper parts rebuilt in Gothic style with 2-light belfry openings. An inscription records: &quot;This tower was built Anno Domini MDCCCXV Wm Rossiter and Jn Hammond Wardens&quot;.
In 1912 the chancel was restored with a timber chancel arch &amp; vestry at the east end of the aisle

Surviving from the 12c along with the font, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/735C226071">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/735C226071</a> is the exceptionally carved west doorway  &quot;one of the best in Devon&quot; (Pevsner)  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/5xDy1b9K94and">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/5xDy1b9K94and</a> stone tympanum showing the visit of the Magi, over the blocked doorway to the west - &quot;the finest in the county&quot; (Cresswell)  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/y6s12XXd62">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/y6s12XXd62</a>

At the east end of the churchyard are some old tombs where lie buried those who died of the plague in the 17c.

The registers date from 1558.


Picture with thanks - copyright <a href="https://www.bishopsteigntonheritage.co.uk/places/delamore-2/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.bishopsteigntonheritage.co.uk/places/delamore-2/</a>
bishopsteignton church devon