St George's Church, Modbury
| St George’s Church, Modbury | |
|---|---|
 St George’s Church, Modbury | |
 | |
| 50°20′55″N 3°53′26″W / 50.34861°N 3.89056°W | |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | modburyteam |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Dedication | St George |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Specifications | |
| Spire height | 134 feet (41 m) |
| Bells | 6 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Exeter |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of Totnes |
| Deanery | Totnes |
| Benefice | Modbury, Bigbury, Ringmore, Kingston & Aveton Gifford[1] |
| Parish | Modbury |
St George’s Church, Modbury is a Grade I listed[2] Church of England parish church in Modbury, Devon.
History
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The church was formerly a dependency of Modbury Priory.[2] The main parts of the church date from the early 14th century[3] It was said to have been struck by lightening in 1621 and rebuilt but it retains the style of its early 14th century predecessor accurately.[3]
The tower has angle buttresses and a broach spire believed to have been rebuilt as a copy of the original after 1621. The nave has a wagon roof, as do the aisles and transepts, the Lady Chapel, the Vestry, and the chancel. Dendrochronological analysis suggest the church was reroofed in the sixteenth century.[4]
Between 1923 and 1925 restoration works were undertaken on the stonework and the spire. The large west window had several portions of perished stone repaired. A new oak reredos designed by Harbottle Reed of Exeter with a painting of the Crucifixion was installed.[5]
The spire was restored in 1938.[6]
The church was placed on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register in 2013 with concerns about roof damage and damp. A 2015 Heritage Lottery Fund grant led to an extensive programme of roof repairs and restoration.[4]
Memorials
[edit]The church contains memorials to the Champernowne and Prideaux families. There is also an acrostic tombstone to Oliver Hill of Shillston, dated 1563.
Organ
[edit]
The organ was built by Forster and Andrews of Hull and installed in 1873. It comprises 2 manuals and pedals with 17 speaking stops. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.[7]
Bells
[edit]The ring of six bells was recast in 1806 by Thomas Castleman Bilbie with a tenor weight of 892 kilograms (1,967 lb).[8] They sound in the key of E flat. As part of the tower and spire restoration in the 1930s, the bells were rehung on a new frame[9] at a cost of £300. The ring was dedicated by the Bishop of Exeter on 29 January 1936 with a muffled peal in respect to the recent death of King George V.
Clock
[edit]In 1705, Ambrose Hawkins of Exeter made a turret clock for the church. It is very similar to the clock preserved in St Saviour's Church, Dartmouth.
References
[edit]- ^ "St George's, Modbury". A Church Near You. The Church of England. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ a b Historic England, "Church of St George (1108059)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 October 2025
- ^ a b Pevsner, Nikolaus (1952). The Buildings of England. South Devon. Penguin Books. p. 207.
- ^ a b Arnold, A J; Howard, R E; Tyers, C (2017). "Church of St George, Church Lane, Modbury, Devon: Tree-Ring Analysis of Oak Timbers. Historic England Research Report 70/2017". research.historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- ^ "Modbury Church Reredos". Western Morning News. England. 15 December 1925. Retrieved 4 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Spire Restored". Western Morning News. England. 18 August 1938. Retrieved 4 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Devon, Modbury, St. George, Church Lane [H00108]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ "Modbury, Devon, S George". Dove’s Guide for Church Bell Ringers. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ^ "Modbury Church Bells Rehung". Western Morning News. England. 30 January 1936. Retrieved 4 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.