There has been a church on the same ancient site since long before the Norman Conquest. Exford like Porlock, Culbone and others, became the site of a church In the days when Christianity came to us from Wales or Ireland, and not from the Roman mission which converted Saxon England.
The church stands at the side of a prehistoric track-way between Barnstaple and Bridgwater, one of several on which Exford village lies. This track-way is now, in part, followed by the modern road. The church is dedicated to St Salvyn, a Celtic Saint, whose portrait, with those of St George and St. Francis is delineated in stained glass in the window on the east of the main door. The dedication to St Mary Magdalene is of much later date, the reason for which is rather obscure.
St Mary Magdalene Church Exford
HISTORICAL
Masses, Benedictions, Vespers, and other Offices were said at Exford church, during the reign of King John (1167-1216) by monks from Neath Abbey, Glamorganshire.
The fourth William de Moione gave his manors of EXEFORDHAM and CUBIHIETE (now called CHIBBET), about a mile to the South-west of Exford ) to the Abbey on condition that a monk should be maintained at Exford church to pray for the said William and his heirs, for ever. The Exford manor is still called Monkham.
Away up in a lonely combe to the North of the church is a ruined house, with a very ancient round-headed oak door-way, called Prescott which, according to local tradition, was the residence of the priests serving this church. It is entirely hidden from sight by trees and the deep combe.
This church is of very ancient foundation, although, apart from the tower and arcades, there is little early work left, as it has been largely rebuilt more than once. In the Taunton Castle Museum is a drawing of Exford church showing a chancel much lower and smaller than the nave; this must have been rebuilt later to the same height and width as the nave. The present building appears to be the third or fourth church on this site, and there is reason to believe that the foundations of the previous churches may still be found below the floor of the present nave.
The oldest part of the present church is the Tower, which dates from the mid-15th century. Early wills indicate that the South Aisle must have been built after 1532. George Elsworthy, the Rector who died in 1534, left the residue of his estate towards the building of this South Aisle conditional upon the work being finished within 10 years. So we know that the pillars and arches and their carved capitals with the South Aisle, date from between 1532 and 1542.
St Mary Magdalene Church Exford
INTERIOR of the church
The ARCADE is a good example of the smaller type of late Perpendicular work with clustered pillars and wreathed capitals frequently found in West Somerset. There are four bays, the arches wide and depressed, the pillars low, suitable for a church in such an exposed position. The TRACERY of the window In the East end of the aisle is largely original and that of the two on the North side of the nave almost wholly so. The FONT is good example of Perpendicular work. H
The ROOD SCREEN
This lovely piece of ancient craft work is one of several generous gifts by which the church has been enriched in recent years. Originally it stood in the old church of St Audries, near Watchet, and is over 500 years old, dating from the 15th Century. When St. Audries church was rebuilt, this screen was thrown out and stored, in pieces, in a barn. When It was discovered early in the last century, efforts were made to find a suitable church in which to re-erect it Exford church had the necessary proportions and size, and in 1929 the Bishop of Bath and Wells dedicated the re-erected screen. The Restoration was very skilfully carried out by craftsmen of the London Museum. Quite a large amount of the ancient carving has been preserved. The floor on top of the Rood Screen is about 4ft. or more wide and was probably approached , in the screen's original home at St. Audtrie's, by a narrow flight of steps cut in the thickness of the church wall. In many cases these screens were used for certain celebrations and Offices. Note the parts of the original FAN VAULTING and the excellently restored vaulting. The screen is a characteristic example of a West of England type, being one of a group probably made at Dunster.
CHOIR-STALLS
These came from Queen's College, Cambridge. Note the heavy tops to the stalls, made from a solid oak beam, 14ft long, 14in. wide and 4in. thick, Similar to those used by monks but without the Misericord seats, used as supports in a standing position.
WEST VESTRY SCREEN
Erected in 1923 in memory of Hamilton Alexander Wnglake, this is a splendid specimen nf wm*m> craftwork, as is the emblazoned PULPIT, given in 1929 by Mr. and Mrs. Aston of Court to mark their Golden Wedding Aniversary
THE ORGAN
To those interested in organs, this is a very mellow instrument, designed for a gentleman's mansion by Sir Ninian Comper, and was presented to Exford church in 1924 by G.C. Harris, Esq. of Timberscombe.
On the south wall of the South aisle, behind the piano, is a memorial to ROBERT BAKER who seems to have been a remarkably virtuous man, which local tradition bears out.
The inscription reads:-
"He laboured thrived and married, and when he died in 1730, made the poor of the parish his heirs of a good part of his estate". Savage, in his 'Hundred of Carhampton' says of him: "Anything which an honest man could do for the sick, the orphan, or the unfortunate, that Robert Baker did with all his might".
A LIST OF RECTORS from 1287 can be seen behind the Font. Before then, the monks served, but no record of their names has been kept.
THE KNEELERS and CUSHIONS in the Sanctuary, at the Communion rail and in the pews were all embroidered by ladies of the parish.
THE BELLS
In 1954 these were re-cast and re-hung in the old oak frame installed in 1906. The original peal was of mixed age and quality. The oldest bell, the 5th, was cast in 1602, and the Treble in 1906. Apart from the Treble, they all appear to have been cast in the West Country. The present peal is of excellent quality, with the Tenor bell weighing 10 1/2cwt.
EXTERIOR of the Church
On the top corners of the TOWER are some quaint Gargoyles which may originally have been intended for rain spouts but were not hollowed out. The West Window has Perpendicular tracery; the label terminals, though rough, are very striking. On the South side is an angel holding a shield, on the North a demon. Above the top of the window is an angel holding a shield bearing three chevrons.
CHURCHYARD CROSS
The base and shaft are all that is left of a cross that was probably standing here before the Norman Conquest and may well be 800-900 years old. It is likely that the Cross was knocked off by Cromwell's men
On the outside east wall of the PORCH is the stone to RICHARD GOULD and his wife who died in 1865 when, she having reached the great age of 106.
She had this epitaph placed to his memory:-
A Husband dear, who in the Lord did trust
Beneath this stone lies silent in the dust
Till the last Trump shall sound and bid him rise
To meet his Blessed Saviour in the skies.
AMOS CANN, buried near the Churchyard gate, was caught in the intense cold of the 1891 winter and frozen to death when walking home from Porlock to Exford . It was three weeks before he was found.
THE VIEW FROM THE PORCH is across the Exe Valley to the hills along the crest of which runs; the pre-historic track-way, used later for the carriage of tin, etc., from the West Country mines to the Roman Portus Dubris (Dover) and Portus Lemanis (Lympne) |
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