PARISHIONERS of St Michael de Rupe, Brentor, need strong constitutions and strong arms; it’s a stiff climb to the 37ft by 14ft 6in church, founded on a rocky Dartmoor tor in 1130 by local landowner Robert Giffard who, legend has it, was awash with gratitude at being spared from a violent storm off the Devon coast.
‘We can take a Land Rover up in good weather and a couple of parishioners lend us a powered wheelbarrow to help bring down hymn books in summer,’ explains churchwarden David Harris, a vet.
‘I love coming up here whatever the weather. There’s a huge sense of peace and that God is very close. It’s a privilege being churchwarden anywhere, but with so many visitors and pilgrims, in such an ancient place, it feels as if you’re a link in a chain that goes back centuries. It’s humbling to think of the hundreds of people who have done this job before and this makes you very aware of your responsibilities.’
Mr. Harris’s mother and co-churchwarden, Helen, admits that Michaelmas, with a baptism at 4.30 pm and Communion at 6 pm, was hard work, with warm water—the church has solar-powered electric light, but no water—booklets, wine and chalice needing to be carried up.
Last year, for the 100th anniversary of the Armistice, gas canisters for a beacon were hauled up the steep slope and everyone processed by torchlight; last week, local figures attended the 700th anniversary of the bishop riding out across the moor from Exeter to dedicate the church and the choir sang a specially commissioned piece.
Denne historien er fra December 11-18, 2019-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra December 11-18, 2019-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
