Chulmleigh Devon
Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the village of Chulmleigh in Devon originally a Saxon hill top settlement 
A 13c charter says says there was a church here founded in 10c by King Athelstan, although there is no contemporary evidence to be found.  
However Chulmleigh was already a sizeable settlement at the time of the 1086 Domesday Survey and after the 1066 conquest vast areas of land in the south west had been given to Baldwin de Meulles, who in turn redistributed some to his own followers, but kept Chulmleigh for himself as part of his Okehampton estates.
The Baldwin estates passed by marriage to the Courtenay family in 1188, and it was John Courtenay who was granted the right to hold a weekly market and an annual fair in 1253 on 22nd of July, the feast of St Mary Magdalene which suggests there was indeed already a church dedicated to that saint.
In 1260 John Courtenay appointed a prebend to the church. suggesting this was a private place of worship, possibly established by the Courtenays, who then appointed clerics as they wished.   Essentially this means that St Mary's was a collegiate church, under a rector and five (originally 7 ) prebends.
(There is a curious story in reference to the 7 prebends  -  Isabella de Fortibus [1236-1293], Countess of Devon, lived at the Castle of Stone.   At this time there was a poor man of Chulmleigh who had many children, and who abandoned his wife for 7 years . Twelve months after his return his wife gave birth to septuplets, all sons, who they decided in turn to abandon in the Little Dart river.   On his way to the river he  met the Countess who asked him what he carried in his basket. &quot;Whelps,&quot; said he. The Countess wished to see them; the man said they were not worth seeing; the Countess insisting, the man fell on his knees and confessed. The Countess, who was of charitable disposition, called her servants to carry home the 7 infants, had them educated, and afterwards settled a prebend on each financially supported from her estates here in Chulmleigh   Prebends were not necessarily ordained priests, and often the post was nothing more than a sinecure, a reward for loyalty to the lord.   They might not live here or even attend services. Their main duty was often to say prayers for the souls of the patron and his family.)

Now entirely 15c the church built with the wealth of the medieval wool trade, consists of a chancel, nave, north and south aisles, north and south porches, and embattled western tower with clock and six bells. 
A survivor from the previous church, is the tympanum over the south door -  a Norman carving, possibly showing the Crucifixion or Christ in majesty <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/54kwmDK0wo">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/54kwmDK0wo</a> 

The 15c oak rood screen is very fine and extending the full width of the eastern nave , retains its doors, groining and cornices, but the cresting is missing.   On top are four 17c (Continental ? )  carved statues of the evangelists.  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/43NK2Q5v11">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/43NK2Q5v11</a>
The medieval wagon roof supported by angels, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/s36PK8JK4y">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/s36PK8JK4y</a> has good carved bosses   <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/AFs28nCDrd">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/AFs28nCDrd</a>
The late 15c font also survives.  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/eu32S79BWY">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/eu32S79BWY</a>

As the wool trade declined in the 17c &amp; 18c the church fell into decay and it was not until the Victorian period that the town was wealthy enough to restore the building.    Sadly many medieval furnishings were swept away, and as a result, the interior is a good example of Victorian Gothic.     Most of the stained glass is also 19c .

The registers date from 1653.

Picture with thanks - copyright Michael Garlick CCL <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5743568" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5743568</a>
chulmleigh chumleigh devon church