St Mary’s Church Reveals Its Secrets.
I was privileged to have a sneak peek behind the fencing to see what’s going on inside the Totnes landmark of St Mary’s. My guides were Father Jim Barlow and site foreman Craig Wallbutton from contractors Ellis and Co.
What lies beneath
“We are used to digging up people,” he said. “But we don’t touch the bones. The archaeologist will be here this week to begin cataloguing what’s here.”
The gravestones, which would have covered most of the floor, were moved when the Victorian renovators came in – and they were not, Father Jim says, respecters of archeology. “When they dug up the floor they swept through it like a dose of salts,” he said. “Burials collapse and the floor subsides, so the Victorian tiled flooring is heaving all over the place. Every 200 years or so you have to do some renewal work . We are about 175 years since the main Victorian reordering.”
Ancient History
One notable discovery is a section of stone which both Craig and Father Jim think is from the Norman period, either the church or the Benedictine Priory built around the church. Its echoes are still seen in the fourth aisle, a Victorian addition, which is on the site of the priory cloisters. Looking at the wall Craig said: ”The old church was here so we are guessing looking at this stone that it’s very old…and if it is that old we can’t touch it, unlike the Victorians who just smashed everything up.”
The excavations can’t go more than a few inches deep, because of the burials, and the archeologist, the wonderfully named Keith Saxon – nominative determinism in action? – will be in charge of dealing with the long-buried footprints of the sacred buildings now being uncovered.
Worth the wait.
When I asked Father Jim how much of a battle it had been to get this far, he laughed. “It’s been a long time to get here – at least two decades. You need a dedicated team to raise the money (£1.6 million); you need permissions from the planners and the Church planners, because everything is Grade One listed. So we raised the money – the National Lottery gave just under a million – and we were doing very well. Then the Government VAT change happened this month, which left us with a £150,000 to £2000,000 hole. We are making back some of that hole and we can’t now stop. After 20 years of waiting, we can’t stop!”
Rood
What is not included in this round of renovations is the rare stone rood screen, which is one of only four in an English parish church, Father Jim thinks. Parts still have the medieval paint clinging to the surface, as seen in the pilgrim scallop shells carved into a doorframe. In those days it had a wooden balcony on the top where performers would sing and act, but the wretched Victorians took it away. “It would have been beautiful when it was first made,” said Father Jim a touch wistfully – he would love to get the paint touched up but of course that’s not allowed.
Warmth within
Peeling back the layers of centuries of restorations is fascinating, but the real purpose is to bring the church together with new people using it for new events, such as art exhibitions, concerts,
childrens’ groups. Everyone complained it was damp – that’s been fixed – and COLD. So the chandeliers are being replaced with lights that heat as well as illuminate, there will be insulation in the floor voids and solar panels are going on part of the roof to generate electricity, not just for the church – which is going all electric – but for the town’s energy club. “Our bills will actually go up. Gas is cheaper, but we can’t keep burning gas because it’s going to burn the planet.”
And once this phase of the renovation is complete – expected to be in November – there are more plans, this time for an extension. But not before Craig and his team have unpicked the old floor tiles and then laid new ones – all 18,800 of them! His firm specialises in churches and cathedrals – including Exeter, Wells, Bath and Chichester.
And while his feet will be firmly in the ground laying new foundations, he’s also found something up in the roof – a pair of Victorian boots. “They are roofer’s boots – you can tell by the studs on the bottom,” he said.
My tour over, Father Jim was keen to get outside, away from the chill and the dust of centuries now displaced, to see the sun. He’s optimistic all is going well. “I’m delighted it’s happening and delighted with the team with have, they’ve done so much in three weeks. It’s a huge responsbility and we keep wondering what we are going to find when we lift things up, and there is the worry about raising more money as well. I hope when it is done people will think it is warmer and more accessible. It will still look like St Mary’s because a lot of what’s been done will be out of sight. It is much used and much loved building. It’s a lovely space.”
Images by Zoe Clough
I really welcome these alterations. I knew about them some years ago when Rev, Ould outlined them to me. It has taken a while but it is now going ahead. If you look back into history churches were more than places of worship. They were like community centres. They provided refuge, a venue for events (especially traditional ones) and were a focus for the local people. St. Mary’s could now become all this, not forgetting its important part in the musical life of the parish. The church is blessed with a nice grand piano and I look forward to playing it in the renovated space