Musbury Church, 1901, Devon

Pencil and wash drawing of Musbury Church, 1901, Devon

Musbury Church

The parish church of Musbury is dedicated to St Michael. The oldest part of the present building is the early 15th century tower, which is illustrated in this anonymous pencil and wash drawing dating to 1901 The church was heavily restored in the 19th century by Hayward of Exeter, the chancel being rebuilt in 1865 and the north aisle in 1875. W. G. Hoskins was not impressed, describing the restoration work as 'devastating'.

The church is associated with the Drake family, who lived at Ashe in the parish of Musbury from about 1415-1793. The main feature of interior of the church is the seventeenth century Drake memorial and members of the family are buried in the churchyard. Admiral Sir Francis Drake of Buckland Abbey claimed to be descended from the Drake family of Ashe, a claim strongly denied by that family.

John Hayward (1807-1891) was born and trained in London. He moved to Exeter in about 1834, where he set up an architectural practice in Cathedral Yard. His activities were mainly concerned with the rebuilding and restoration of churches in South West England, including work on the churches of St Andrew, St David, St Mary Arches and St Thomas in the city of Exeter. He did undertake other types of work, designing Exeter Prison, which was built in 1853 and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, which was opened in 1868.

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Prints and Drawings

Sketches of Devon churches