Dawlish Devon
St Gregory the Great, Dawlish Devon
The dedication to St Gregory indicates an early date for a building in Saxon times. However, the church was rebuilt in 1148, which is the time it is first documented and there is a Norman corbel stone behind the church from this build.
The first vicar was recorded in 1272, and had parishes in both Cofton and East Teignmouth, although he is only recorded as "W" due to damage to the registers.
A rebuild was needed in the 1430s, and this was in sandstone from Salcombe Regis. To help pay for this, the Bishop of Exeter offered an Indulgence reducing punishment for sinners, to those paying for materials for the church.
Parts of the church and tower are very old, up to 700 years, but the bulk of the church dates from the Victorian rebuildings.
These began in 1823-5 by Andrew Patey at a cost of £4,000. The 1824 additions are in stone rubble and consist of 6 bay nave, transept, north and south aisles and south porch. The renovation increased the height of the nave to accommodate galleries. The west tower is built of sandstone in 2 stages, having octagonal turret, crenellated crockets and waterspouts.
A further rebuilding / renovation was required in 1873 which cost £7,000. This time the chancel and transepts were completely rebuilt. A final renovation of 1897 removed the recently built galleries.
The interior contains a good series of late 18c - early 19c wall tablets to people who died while visiting the fashionable resort of Dawlish, including a Flaxman memorial to Frances Mary Hamlet.
Curiously in 1840 without any traceable authority the dedication was changed to St Michael. However the vicar in 1920 Rev F Simmonds investigated and found the original dedication was to St Gregory so that name has been used again since then.
At one time there was a daughter church dedicated to St Mark on Brunswick Terrace, but it was demolished in 1975.
The churchyard contains some 18c chest tombs and headstones.
Grey Wolf www.google.co.uk/search?q=church+of+st+gregory+dawlish+&a...
Dawlish Devon
St Gregory the Great, Dawlish Devon
The dedication to St Gregory indicates an early date for a building in Saxon times. However, the church was rebuilt in 1148, which is the time it is first documented and there is a Norman corbel stone behind the church from this build.
The first vicar was recorded in 1272, and had parishes in both Cofton and East Teignmouth, although he is only recorded as "W" due to damage to the registers.
A rebuild was needed in the 1430s, and this was in sandstone from Salcombe Regis. To help pay for this, the Bishop of Exeter offered an Indulgence reducing punishment for sinners, to those paying for materials for the church.
Parts of the church and tower are very old, up to 700 years, but the bulk of the church dates from the Victorian rebuildings.
These began in 1823-5 by Andrew Patey at a cost of £4,000. The 1824 additions are in stone rubble and consist of 6 bay nave, transept, north and south aisles and south porch. The renovation increased the height of the nave to accommodate galleries. The west tower is built of sandstone in 2 stages, having octagonal turret, crenellated crockets and waterspouts.
A further rebuilding / renovation was required in 1873 which cost £7,000. This time the chancel and transepts were completely rebuilt. A final renovation of 1897 removed the recently built galleries.
The interior contains a good series of late 18c - early 19c wall tablets to people who died while visiting the fashionable resort of Dawlish, including a Flaxman memorial to Frances Mary Hamlet.
Curiously in 1840 without any traceable authority the dedication was changed to St Michael. However the vicar in 1920 Rev F Simmonds investigated and found the original dedication was to St Gregory so that name has been used again since then.
At one time there was a daughter church dedicated to St Mark on Brunswick Terrace, but it was demolished in 1975.
The churchyard contains some 18c chest tombs and headstones.
Grey Wolf www.google.co.uk/search?q=church+of+st+gregory+dawlish+&a...