The Church of St Peter in West Buckland combines surviving medieval fabric with later building phases. Individual tombs can be distinguished by their names, materials and dates; the barrow cemetery on Stoodleigh Down, by contrast, dates to the Bronze Age. This offers a range of historical points of interest for planning your trip—from architectural history and inscriptions to a group of prehistoric mounds.
Church of St Peter and Historic Tombs
The Church of St Peter is a Grade II* listed building. The tower retains fabric from the 15th century, while the rest of the church was rebuilt. R. D. Gould restored the tower between 1860 and 1863. The different building phases help distinguish the surviving medieval fabric from later work on the church.
The tombs also differ in their dates and designs. The decorated Jones slate headstone dates from 1824 and was made by H. Britton of Landkey. The Dallyn headstone is also made of slate, bears an inscription to Richard Dallyn and dates from 1818. It stands about 1 m south of the east end of the south aisle of the Church of St Peter. The two dates place the individual tombs in a specific historical context; the Jones stone is notable for its decoration and maker, while the Dallyn stone is distinguished by its inscription and precise location.
Another group from the mid-19th century comprises the Chapple chest tomb, the Huxtable headstone and two accompanying verse stones. The group stands about 2 m southwest of the church’s south porch. The chest tomb has a slate slab resting on a brick base and was made by T. Britton. The headstones are made of slate. Thus, individual tombs identified by name are contrasted with a group whose shared location and features call for a separate description.
Barrow Cemetery on Stoodleigh Down
The barrow cemetery lies 450 m southwest of Tossell’s Barton on Stoodleigh Down. The ridge overlooks the valleys of tributaries of the River Bray. The cemetery comprises twelve round mounds of varying sizes, each surrounded by a quarry ditch. This type of monument dates to the Bronze Age, around 2000 to 700 BC. Unlike the individual headstones, the focus here is on the number, shape and arrangement of an entire group. The dating also indicates a much earlier period than that of the 19th-century tombs described above.
Architectural History and Education
South Stoodleigh Farmhouse may have a 17th-century core and was completely remodelled in 1731. The house is unusual in the area because it retains many 18th-century features. Its building history therefore includes two distinct points: the earlier core is possible, while the remodelling is dated to a specific year.
West Buckland School was founded in South Stoodleigh by J. L. Brereton in 1858 to provide education for the middle classes. Its 100-acre campus lies in the countryside near the Atlantic coast. The school’s founding and grounds add an institutional dimension to the history of the church and houses.
Travel on Bus Route 873
Bus route 873, operated by Taw & Torridge, runs on Thursdays, except public holidays, between Brayford and South Molton via West Buckland. If you plan to use this service, check the current timetable before travelling. The day of the week and the public-holiday exception are important conditions to bear in mind when planning your journey.
Discover more destinations: Rackenford, Talaton, Kingskerswell, Westleigh, Stoke Canon, Bottreaux Mill, Kenton and Chittlehamholt.
For the wider travel overview: Devon.
