Bickleigh Devon
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bickleigh, Devon
There are 2 Bickleigh churches both dedicated to St Mary,, this one is near Plymouth. 
That a church existed here in the 13c is clear from a taxation roll of 1288 to 1291, in which “Bikgelegh cum capell (de Shipstor)” is valued at £6, the tenths appearing at 12s., and the ecclesiastical benefice at £4 6s. 8d.
However the bulk of the present building except for the 15c three stage tower which has 6 bells &quot;of good tone&quot;, is a product of various 19c restorations and a rebuild in 1838 by architect Charles Fowler for Sir Ralph Lopes of Maristow.   A  further rrestoration by J D Sedding took place in 1882
It consists of a nave &amp; large chancel all in one,   north and  south aisles,  porch near the south-west corner, and a vestry on the south side of the chancel. 
As well as the tower,  2 fonts also survive -  one 12c of crude tub shape &quot;rudely carved&quot; with zigzag carving <a href="https://flic.kr/p/qYSMrP" rel="noreferrer nofollow">flic.kr/p/qYSMrP</a> - the other of the 15c.  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/z0Kd05dw3a">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/z0Kd05dw3a</a> Also the reused 15c / 16c  south doorway. 

The previous church is described thus: 
&quot;The communion table is raised a trifle and the chancel is here railed across for convenience of communicants; the vestry opens into the chancel just westward of these rails; the chancel is itself sufficiently raised above the church to aid the voice and sight of the minister; the raised flooring extends a few feet into the body of the church, indicating the point where the rood loft stretched across, and on it at the junction of the chancel and nave, are the small reading desk or lectern and the finely carved new stone pulpit, while on either side at the ends of the aisles are respectively the manor seat and the minister’s family seat; the poor have the nave devoted to them, a double row of comfortable oak benches being provided the whole length, the women in the south row and very agreeably to an ancient and faithfully preserved custom; the farmers occupy closed seats in the two aisles; just within the south-west doorway is the font, and a similar enclosure at the west end of the north aisle is given to strangers; under the bell loft of the tower is the small but good organ, and in advance of the tower arch are the singers, school children and clerk with his lectern. The rebuilding of this church on the medieval pattern had secured it the best architectural qualities and the present good management of the church matters in the parish enables the authorities to second those features by admirable cleanliness, and, in winter, by comfortable warmth.
The chancel window is elegant though simple. In the upper spaces of its tracery appear, in the centre the Royal Arms; on the north side those of the See and Province, and on the south side the Arms of Lopes, from whose property the restoration was defrayed. Under this window there is some elegant tabular work to receive texts of scripture, &amp;c.
The only other entrance to the church, besides the south-west one, is an elegant doorway on the west side of the tower, but it admits only the singers, and those who have to ascend the tower by the flight of steps in its north-west angle. Besides the chancel window, the aisles are lighted by 4 windows on the north and 3 on the south, whilst over the tower door is a similarly constructed one lighting the building from the west. The roofs are at several points ornamented with Greek crosses ..........&quot;.



bickleigh church devon