| Sampford Courtney |
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A few miles west of Crediton, just off the northern edge of Dartmoor, lies one of the prettiest villages in all Devonshire. A sleepy, charming place of cob and thatch and mellow stone, ablaze with flowers in the summer, Sampford Courtenay has changed little since the Middle Ages.
As you enter the church there is a narrow stone spiral staircase which leads to the roof of the south aisle. From there you have a perfect view of the little churchyard, and the gravestones leaning with the weight of the centuries. From your high vantage point you can drink in the tranquility of the place and may well be misled into thinking that nothing of consequence, and certainly nothing violent, could ever have tainted it.
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Yet here the spark was struck that so nearly changed the course of our history. Here the Devon rising flared up and joined the Cornishmen's revolt. Without the Devon contingent, it is highly doubtful that they could have laid siege to Exeter. They would very probably have been brought to battle within weeks and destroyed by the king's army
As Whit Sunday 1549 approached, almost the sole topics of conversation in Sampford Courtenay were the new laws, the new prayer-book, and whether Father Harper would abandon his vestments and use the new form of service, in obedience to instructions. |
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I would like to thank the kind people in the post office/estate agents at Sampford Courtenay for their kind help in trying to get me information on the village. The above is from some photocopies, kindly run off for me, I am sorry not to include a photo of the post office. I did take one but it was not in good focus.
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On my trip out this morning, I saw a fine granite cross, on my way into Sampford Courtenay. I was just going to stop the car to photograph it when I saw the base was 'protected' with chicken wire. Also, the green in front was being used for stacking black bin bags. This lovely old red cob building in the village had the above notice pinned to the door. I agree with the sentiments but doesn't the notice and the chicken wire equally offend?
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