The church of St Andrew is mostly 14th century in date, including the tower. The high altar was consecrated in 1318. Traces of an earlier building include a reused Norman tympanum over the north doorway. There is a carved and decorated 15th-century rood screen.

The earliest graffiti is on the wonderful c. 16th century oak south door and on the rood screen. The south door graffiti includes probable initials, but also a typical Marian type M, or inverted W – an apotropaic or protective mark. Scored letters on the rood screen are again probably mostly visitors’ initials, although the form of the M in the letters MP looks like a Marian mark, and a letter W cut into the font could likewise have been perceived as protective.

On the rood screen there is also a deeply cut crossed I (an old form of the letter J), possibly someone’s initial, but perhaps more likely a Christogram, representing Jesus  – like a shortened version of the more well known IHS. Lone crossed letter I’s are not uncommon in church graffiti.

There is a good deal of 20C graffiti and scribbling on the organ casing, including names/initials and occasional dates. In the clock chamber, a pencil inscription records clock maintenance in 1941.

Ipplepen, St Andrew