The chancel screen consists of narrow square-headed lights under a horizontal beam, most probably originally there was a horizontal coving to support a loft, as is the case at Willand. In the reign of Elizabeth [1558-1603] an order was made for the removal of lofts to the level of the groining. This order seems to have been pretty generally carried out, which accounts for there being only two examples of the ancient gallery front in Devonshire. Unfortunately, when the lofts were removed the groinings were often taken down as well, hence the large number of screens with a flat surface ornamented with portions of the carving which formerly composed the fronts of the lofts and galleries.

In 1880, when the chapel at Umberleigh Manor House was demolished, its beautiful rood screen was brought to Atherington, and erected in the north aisle of the church. It is of unpainted oak, richly carved, the divisions of the fans are filled with beautiful designs, and the fans spring from carved figures of angels holding shields. The original gallery (front and back) remains, the only instance of the original gallery in existence in Devonshire with the exception of the one at Marwood, near Barnstaple, and there only the east side remains. There are projecting canopies on the front of the gallery which formerly held figures, but these were destroyed in 1548. The carving of these canopies is exceptionally fine. The panels underneath the canopies in the time of Elizabeth [1558-1603] were ornamented (?) with the Royal arms, shields, and an inscription running:— "God save the Church, our Queen Elizabeth and Realm, and grant us peace and truth in Christ.—Amen."

The church [plates 30a and 30b] is cruciform, consisting of chancel, with priest's door, nave, north and south transepts, south porch, and central tower with six bells. There is an old western gallery, entered by an exterior staircase, and in the nave an old «three-decker» pulpit, probably the only one remaining in Devonshire.

The altar has old railings in the front [plate 30c], on the south side, and partially at the back and on the north side; it appears as if the altar at one time had been placed further west, and been entirely surrounded by railings.

The north transept contains monuments of the Yarde and Buller families. It is now enclosed by a wooden screen, there was formerly a family pew in a gallery in this transept, the pew has been removed to the ground-floor, and the front of the gallery used for the front of the pew. There is a piscina with shelf in the east wall.

At the west end of the aisle is a tombstone with the inscription:—

"Weep not for me you standers by
 Which do beset me round
 For in this grave I now must lie
 Until the trumpet shall sound."

NB.  These words appear only infrequently in funeral hymns, their author not being so far traced. The most often remembered setting is by a Shropshire nurseryman called John Moore, and can be found in his manuscript book dating from about 1835.   We carried out a serious search for this tombstone in the summer or 2007, and could not locate it. Opinion differed as to where it might have been, but the most likely place would appear to be at the west end of the south aisle, now covered by a carpet. Locals who remembered the floor before the carpet was laid, thought otherwise!

The nave has a plastered wagon roof with bosses of no particular merit. There is a piscina in the chancel; a west gallery with organ, an old pulpit, and font, and the old box pews. In the north wall of the nave is a niche for a statue, but the figure is missing.

In the belfry are the Ringers' Rules as follow:—

"We ring the Quick to Church, the Dead to Grave
 Good is our use, such usage let us have.
 Who swears, curseth, or in a choleric mood
 Quarrels and strikes, altho he draws no blood;
 Who wears his hat, or spurs, or turns a bell,
 Or by unskilful handling mars a peal;
 Let him pay sixpence for each single crime
 Souls truly noble and like thine divine
 Twill make him cautious gainst another time;
 Now round let's go and when we've done let's sing
 God bless our Holy Church, God save the King."

"My Sledge and hammer both declined
 My bellows too have lost their wind
 My fires extinct my forge decayed
 And in the dust my vice is laid
 My coal is spent my irons gone
 My nails are drove — my work is done."

The church consists of chancel, nave, south porch, and west tower. There is a screen of five bays across the chancel [plate 61], retaining its ancient colouring and gilding, but the tracery has all been removed from the bays and the ancient cresting has been replaced by a plain wooden one; at one time it must have been an exceedingly fine screen.

There is a gallery in the tower arch, and on each side of the arch are carved grotesque heads. The arms of Charles II [r. 1660-1685] are preserved beneath the gallery.  Some box pews.

In the north aisle is the old sounding board of the pulpit, with angel and trumpet on the top; the pulpit has been removed to the usual position. The font is circular, has two rows of carving, and is supported on a shaft with spreading base [plate 71b].

The church consists of chancel, nave, south aisle, south porch, and an embattled west tower with six bells, dating from 1721 to 1765. The church was struck by lightning in 1688, when the steeple was shattered and the bells melted. The principal object of interest in the church is the fine Georgian chancel screen of Corinthian design [plate 74]; the type is uncommon in Devonshire, the only two in any way resembling it being those at Ermington and Washfield. This and the parclose screen are well carved, and in a good state of preservation. Over the chancel doorway is the crown resting on a cushion. There are return stalls in the choir.

The church [plate 80a] consists of chancel, nave, north and south aisles, divided from nave by five arches, resting on octagonal pillars with plain capitals, and west tower. The church will always be noted for its connection with the poet Herrick [1591-1674], who was vicar of the parish from 1629 to 1674; he was ejected by the Puritans, but was reinstated at the Restoration [1660]. In the church is a handsome brass erected to his memory in 1857 by a relative, William Percy Herrick, of Beav Manor Park, Leicestershire.

There is a good circular font of red sandstone [plate 80b], the bowl has two bands of carving and rests on a short shaft; it is of Late Norman date, and probably belonged to the original church, which is supposed to have been built and endowed by the Fitz-Stephen family about the middle of the 12th century.

There are no remains of the rood screen, which was removed prior to 1866.

The church also retains one of the old west galleries [plate 92b] which are so rapidly disappearing under the hand of the restorer.

The church has been restored and has some good modern carved bench-ends, amongst the subjects will be found: the emblems of the Passion; a grape vine; the thistle; the arms and initials of Archbishop Temple [elected 1896]; H. E. R. Exon (Bishop Ryle); V. R. I. 1837-91. The seats were given by Miss Hole in memory of Emily Francis Hole, widow of the Rev. Nathaniel John Brassey Hole, Rector of Broadwood Kelly. The south aisle retains its high pews. The pulpit is old, it bears the date 1665, a peculiarity about it is that it is entered direct from the vestry.

John Payne, Warden.  Johannes Gill,
Tiverton, Pinxit 1725.

The church has been re-seated; in the old seats, the last seat to the west on the south side had an opening in the back, through which it is said the parents passed the child before baptism. This must have been a survival of a heathen custom. The present rector, the Rev. W. M. Fairbairn, anxious to preserve all that was ancient in his church, has had this opening reproduced in the new seat, but, owing to an error of the architect, a top rail was introduced which was not in the original. The west gallery has been removed, and portions of the carved front used in the choir seats.

There is on the outside of one of the pews, on the north side of the church, a curious slab of wood, which can be drawn out to form a seat, this the Rev. W. M. Fairbairn had preserved on the re-seating of the church. It is called an «Apprentice's Seat», and the apprentice sat outside the family pew.

The church is Perpendicular, consisting of chancel, nave, north aisle, south porch, and embattled west tower with clock and four bells (the tenor weighing 16 cwt.) dated (1) 1562; (2) Mediæval; (3) 1700; (4) Mediæval. Charles Pearson, M.A., in his Ringer's Guide to the Church Bells of Devon says, "the treble (1562) has a curious inscription, 'Hic jacet Magister Johannes Cooke', twice backwards. Perhaps it was taken in wax from a tombstone for ornament merely. The third has 'Santie Nichola ora pro nobis' in modern letters and coats of arms. The second in black letter, 'gif to sancta maradous' which is unintelligible." The third was clearly recast in 1700, the Mediæval inscription being preserved.

In the church there is a memorial to the Rev. O. Barry, who was vicar of the parish; he was persecuted for his attachment to the cause of Charles I [r. 1625-1649] and died in 1683, aged 45 years. This church shares with that at Parracombe the distinction of retaining the complete chancel enclosure of the post-Reformation type; with the exception of these two, there is no church in the county where this interesting feature remains [plate 161a].

There is a screen with folding gates and an open framework on either side, surmounted by a plastered tympanum, completely filling the chancel opening. On the west face are two large tablets bearing the Ten Commandments and a panel between with the Royal arms; there are also inscribed the names of I. Mogridge, Churchwarden, and Rowlands, Painter, with the date 1808. Before the Reformation these tympana were covered with paintings of Scripture subjects, the «Doom», or Last Judgment, being often depicted. At the Reformation [ca. 1550], when it became the custom to remove from the churches all outward signs of spiritual things, these paintings were taken down, or in some cases whitewashed over, and in their place were hung up, or painted on the surface, the Royal arms, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments. The Royal arms also in many cases took the place of the crucifix on the rood screen. Why gazing upon the lion and the unicorn should be supposed to be a greater assistance to spiritual worship than having the sign of our redemption before our eyes during Divine Service, I confess I do not know.

There is an old «three-decker» pulpit in the north aisle, with canopy [plate 161b].

At the east end of the church, within railings, is a curious double heart stone, a receptacle for the hearts of a Courtenay and his wife, whose arms, supported by dolphins, are sculptured upon it; it has never been opened [plate 161c]. The burial of hearts in churches seems to have been a not unusual custom at one time. The heart of Robert Bruce [King of Scotland 1306-1329] is said to be buried near the high altar at Melrose Abbey [ca. 25 miles south of Edinburgh].

The registers date: baptisms, 1541; marriages, 1538; burials, 1541.

The church [plate 168] consists of chancel, with priest's door, nave, north aisle, separated from nave by arches, the pillars having carved capitals, south porch, and west tower with six bells, five cast in 1783 by William Evans of Chepstow [Monmouthshire, Wales], the sixth added in 1908.

The chancel has a widely splayed arch opening into the north, or Northcote Chapel, in which there is a piscina. The old gallery at the west end of the church has been restored, and the portion formerly extending across the aisle removed. The church retains its old box pews, and there is an old pulpit with a canopy. The pulpit, reading desk, and clerk's desk, form a kind of «three-decker», but the only genuine survival of this form of pulpit is at Branscombe.