A 75-foot-high granite tower, six bells and beautiful views of Dartmoor give St Michael’s Church in Spreyton a striking architectural and scenic setting. The churchyard also features a listed gravestone and a lime-tree avenue as the main approach. Together, these elements connect the site’s architectural history, local heritage and landscape.
St Michael’s Church: Granite, Bells and Carvings
St Michael’s Church is a Grade II listed building. The 75-foot-high tower and the north aisle are made of solid blocks of regularly coursed granite ashlar. The tower houses six bells; the oldest dates from 1650. Visitors are welcome to attend a service or visit the church.
Inside, the ribs and purlins are decorated with quatrefoil motifs. Large oak corbels depict tin-mining hares, the Green Man and sacred monograms. Geometric ornament sits alongside figures and religious symbols. A piscina and an altar stone are said to have belonged to an earlier church on this site; this attribution remains a traditional interpretation.
The churchyard also brings together architectural details and local history. A lime-tree avenue leads from the lychgate to the church’s main entrance. St Michael’s Church stands 735 feet above sea level and offers beautiful views of Dartmoor. A gravestone listed in the heritage register for Thomas Cobley dates from 1844. Another gravestone commemorates his nephew, Thomas Cobley, who is considered one of the candidates for the “old uncle Tom Cobley” in the song.
Bells, Services and Historic Celebrations
The bells are rung for services on three Sundays each month. The bell ringers also meet to practise on Tuesday evenings throughout the year; permission is required to take part in a practice session. The Sundays and practice evenings therefore follow different schedules. If you would like to plan your visit around a service or a particular bell ringing, check the current dates.
St Michael’s Church’s annual events calendar includes a harvest festival, a candlelit carol service and a procession for the nativity play. Check the specific event dates before travelling. This allows you to plan around a church event without assuming that it is a regular visitor attraction available on any given date.
The historic Spreyton revel offers a different perspective on time. The annual festival featured sports, games and general merrymaking, and came to an end during the Second World War. It was normally moved to midsummer, since the feast day of St Michael falls on 29 September. The festival tradition thus linked the church calendar with an earlier summer celebration.
Monthly Market and Local Food Culture
The Spreyton Farmer’s Market takes place every month at Spreyton Village Hall. Stalls include regional produce, plants and local crafts. A Full English Breakfast is also served there monthly. The mix of stalls may vary; check the event date and current offering before your visit.
Local food culture also has an agricultural history. Historic farms in Spreyton produced their own cheese, butter and clotted cream. They also made their own cider from their orchards. These traditional farm products offer a glimpse into past local production; they are distinct from the current monthly events at the village hall.
The Tom Cobley Tavern is a traditional 16th-century pub in Spreyton. If you are planning a visit, check its current opening information in advance. The options differ considerably in terms of timing: the market and breakfast take place monthly, bell ringing and practice evenings follow a weekly schedule, while the revel belongs to the village’s history.
Discover more destinations: Little Torrington, Sampford Peverell, Burlescombe, Kingsteignton, Copplestone, Noss Mayo, North Tawton, North Molton
For the main travel overview: Devon.
