St Martin's Church

St Martin’s Church stands in Cathedral Close, Exeter, a quiet stone building surrounded by grass and older walls. Built mainly in the 15th century of Heavitree stone, it keeps a slate roof and a tall tower added in 1675. The chancel arch may be the oldest part, dating back to a church consecrated in 1065 by Bishop Leofric. Traces of Anglo-Saxon work remain high in the nave’s south-east corner. The church is now looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust after being vested in 1995. Inside, visitors find monuments and fittings moved from nearby St Paul’s after its demolition in 1936. The reredos and altar rails date from the 17th and 18th centuries, while the south window holds fragments of medieval glass. At the west end a panelled gallery displays the painted arms of Bishop Trelawny and the City of Exeter beside the royal coat of arms. The chancel arch itself is thought to be the oldest surviving feature. The church’s setting in Cathedral Close makes it easy to reach after a short walk from Exeter Cathedral. The stone walls and slate roofs blend with the close’s historic atmosphere. Inside, the mix of medieval fragments and later furnishings tells the building’s long story. The painted gallery and surviving glass add colour and detail to the plain stone walls.