Ottery
 Stately Homes |
For a sleepy little town, this church may appear as too grand. It certainly had more modest beginnings in the 13th century, but between 1338-42 it was massively rebuilt by John de Grandisson the Bishop of Exeter. Having completed the construction of Exeter Cathedral in the 14th century, the bishop then commenced the rebuilding of St Mary's as a collegiate church for a community of priests. The rebuilding of the church was influenced by Exeter Cathedral. The completed structure is certainly noble with the later additions enhancing its appearance. The interior is rich in medieval craftsmanship. The clerestory light reveals very fine carving, notably the Grandisson tombs and canopied effigies picked-out in pale stone between pillars of the nave. The Dorset aisle, a 16th century addition, is highlighted by exquisite tracery within the high fan-vaulted roof, which incorporates some unusual capital carvings including two owls and an elephant. The lectern's gilded eagle with its air of benign enquiry was presented to the church by Bishop Grandisson. Of interest too is an ancient astronomical clock which still is in working order.
Several monuments are of considerable interest. There is a red-breeched, booted and spurred cavalier of the 17th century, as well as an effigy of Sir Otto de Grandisson, the bishop's brother who died in 1358. He wears full armour, sporting a droopy moustache. A humbler stone commemorates the Reverend John Coleridge, Vicar of Ottery St Mary in the late 18th century, and also headmaster of the local grammar school. The Rev. Coleridge, a somewhat eccentric man, had 13 children, the youngest of whom was the noted poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834). A memorial tablet set in the churchyard wall, depicting his profile and an albatross, recalls the poet's birth here.
Westwards from the church lies a large building, Charter's House, the home of the Coleridge family. Two other buildings of note standing nearby are the Warden's House and the Vicar's House. In Paternoster Row are several good examples of 18th century town houses with dated rainwater heads (1759-79). In the lower part of town, in Jesu Street , is a nonconformist church built of brick in 1664, one of the earliest in England .
Just upstream from Ottery St Mary, where the Otter flows through water meadows, is Cadhay, a delightful Tudor manor house complemented by its striking Elizabethan courtyard. Built in 1550 by successful lawyer John Hadden, the house is approached along an avenue of lime trees and is open to the public throughout the summer months.
For further information see http://www.otterytourism.org.uk/