Black Torrington: St Mary’s, Bells and Historic Farmhouses

Black Torrington can be considered for travel planning through three themes: St Mary’s, historic buildings and trails in the surrounding countryside. This lets you decide in advance whether church architecture, local history or outdoor activity is especially important for your stay.

St Mary’s: Building phases and architecture

St Mary’s is a small, well-preserved Anglican parish church in Black Torrington. It has medieval origins: the chancel dates from the 14th century, while much of the rest of the building dates from around 1500. It is essentially a Perpendicular Gothic building, though there is also evidence of Norman origins. The transept may represent the remains of a 14th-century building. The different dates and cautious interpretation of the transept show that several building phases contribute to the church’s architectural character.

Distinctive features include the south aisle, with its well-crafted wagon roof, carved ribs, bosses and wall plates. An unusual 18th-century partition separates the aisle from the chapel. The font also makes its own impression: it is octagonal, made of granite and dates from the 15th century; its shaft has trefoil panels. These features differ in form and date, giving you concrete points of interest if you are interested in historic church architecture.

Bells and community life

St Mary’s has six bells and a ground-floor ringing frame. The St Mary’s Ruby Hand Bell Ringers also meet weekly at the church to play their restored set of handbells. Anyone wishing to learn bell ringing can simply drop in on a practice evening; check the date before travelling.

St Mary’s holds regular services; details are posted on the noticeboard by the street entrance. There is also an informal café-style service with coffee and refreshments. If you plan to attend a particular service or practice evening, check the date before travelling.

Historic houses and their building phases

East Graddon Farmhouse dates from around 1500. An addition from the mid to late 16th century is likely; alterations were made in the early 17th century. The property is considered a well-preserved late-medieval farmhouse with an unusual floor plan. Hole Farmhouse dates from the 16th century, was altered in the mid-17th century and later extended in the 17th or 18th century. At both buildings, the construction phases offer insight into changes made over extended periods.

Higher Braundsworthy Farmhouse also dates from around 1500. It probably has additions from the early 17th century, as well as extensions from the 19th century. The house retains high-quality architectural features from several periods; modernisation in the 20th century made few changes to the interior. Beara Court was built between 1873 and 1890 by Lucius H Reichel on the site of an earlier house. It is considered a rare surviving example of a Devon landowner’s manor house, complete with outbuildings and gardens. The timeline therefore stretches from the late-medieval farmhouse to the late-19th-century country house.

War memorial and barrow

The war memorial is a finely crafted granite cross. It commemorates eight local servicemen who died in the First World War and six men who fell in the Second World War. The cross stands on a green; shallow steps with rounded edging stones lead up to it. The names and numbers preserve the memory of two different wars at the same memorial.

The barrow 80 metres north-west of Windmilland Cross stands prominently on a ridge and is comparatively well preserved. It may later have been reused as the site of a windmill, which gave the nearby wayside cross its name. This remains a possibility, linking the barrow with the traditional naming of the cross.

Trails and the countryside

A section of The Ruby Way passes through Black Torrington. The parish also has public footpaths and bridleways. A named route and other types of trails thus offer different options to consider when planning your trip. Black Torrington is considered a rural community in a beautiful setting, surrounded by farmland and woodland.

Discover more destinations: Cornworthy, Chagford, Pennymoor, Morebath, Lydford, Sampford Courtenay, West Buckland, Sidmouth.

For the wider travel overview: Devon.