Halwell Devon
Church of St Leonard, Halwell Devon - "Hagewile" in the 1086 Domesday Book, its name coming from the Old English halig: "holy" plus wylle: "well".‘ Holy Well which is still to be found in the churchyard.
A place of habitation since the Iron Age, the parish contains the earthwork enclosures of the 2 hillforts of Stanborough Camp and Halwell Camp. It was important in the 10c as one of 4 burhs or fortified settlements, established in Devon by Alfred the Great to defend against invasion by the Vikings - According to the 10c Burghal Hidage document Halwell's town wall was 1,237 feet long and the garrison consisted of 300 men who could be drawn from the surrounding district in the event of an attack. However by the 11c it had lost this position to Totnes after the Noman castle was built there in 11c
According to William Pole d1635, from the reign of King Edward I the manor was the seat of the de Halgawell family, who were here for several generations. Sir John Halgawell / Halliwell was Steward of the Duchy of Cornwall under Henry VII (1485-1509), also Admiral of the Fleet and a Knight of the Body. His son was Richard Halgawell, the last in the male line, who married Joan heiress of John Norbury of Stoke in Surrey. His daughter and heiress was Joan Halgawell, who married Edmund 1st Baron Braye 1539 of Eaton Bray in Bedfordshire. Her eventual heiress and inheritor of the manor was the second of her 6 daughters, Elizabeth Bray 1573 wife of Sir Ralph Verney 1546) flic.kr/p/9gpAtR at Aldbury Herts whose heraldic robe has the 3 goats argent of Hallighwell
By the 13tc there are mentions in parish records of a religious building here. In one document dated 1274 a chapel is mentioned as a daughter building to nearby Halberton .
A mention in 1536 must be the existing late 15c rebuilding but parts of the present church seem to have reused fabric of the older one especially in the doorframes and the west window of the tower which has intersecting tracery must date from about late 13c or early 14c . Therefore a church may have been built here soon after the 1288 returns which does not mention a church,
It now comprises a nave, chancel, north aisle of 5 granite bays with semicircular arches, three stage west tower with a 3-sided granite battlemented rood stair turret,. south porch & a small vestry In the angle of the chancel and north aisle . In 1553 there were 4 bells which were recast as 6 bells in 1763 by Pennington; the 4th bell was recast again in 1823 by Hambling of Blackawton.
The rood screen was removed in 1810. ( ! ! )
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales of 1870 described the building as " old and plain and recently was dilapidated."
Something had to be done, and In 1896 / 7 the church was restored when the whole building was reroofed. This appears to have involved the rebuilding of the south wall of the nave, reusing the 15c windows. A small vestry was added on the north side of the chancel in the angle with the north aisle. Also the south porch was rebuilt with a reset medieval doorframe similar to that of the west tower doorway .
The late 19c organ has painted pipes and a keyboard from the USA.
Later there was much refurbishment in early 20c when the carved oak altar, freestone reredos & altar rail were placed in the chancel
www.google.co.uk/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x486d1fa387a74b3d%3A0x124...
Halwell Devon
Church of St Leonard, Halwell Devon - "Hagewile" in the 1086 Domesday Book, its name coming from the Old English halig: "holy" plus wylle: "well".‘ Holy Well which is still to be found in the churchyard.
A place of habitation since the Iron Age, the parish contains the earthwork enclosures of the 2 hillforts of Stanborough Camp and Halwell Camp. It was important in the 10c as one of 4 burhs or fortified settlements, established in Devon by Alfred the Great to defend against invasion by the Vikings - According to the 10c Burghal Hidage document Halwell's town wall was 1,237 feet long and the garrison consisted of 300 men who could be drawn from the surrounding district in the event of an attack. However by the 11c it had lost this position to Totnes after the Noman castle was built there in 11c
According to William Pole d1635, from the reign of King Edward I the manor was the seat of the de Halgawell family, who were here for several generations. Sir John Halgawell / Halliwell was Steward of the Duchy of Cornwall under Henry VII (1485-1509), also Admiral of the Fleet and a Knight of the Body. His son was Richard Halgawell, the last in the male line, who married Joan heiress of John Norbury of Stoke in Surrey. His daughter and heiress was Joan Halgawell, who married Edmund 1st Baron Braye 1539 of Eaton Bray in Bedfordshire. Her eventual heiress and inheritor of the manor was the second of her 6 daughters, Elizabeth Bray 1573 wife of Sir Ralph Verney 1546) flic.kr/p/9gpAtR at Aldbury Herts whose heraldic robe has the 3 goats argent of Hallighwell
By the 13tc there are mentions in parish records of a religious building here. In one document dated 1274 a chapel is mentioned as a daughter building to nearby Halberton .
A mention in 1536 must be the existing late 15c rebuilding but parts of the present church seem to have reused fabric of the older one especially in the doorframes and the west window of the tower which has intersecting tracery must date from about late 13c or early 14c . Therefore a church may have been built here soon after the 1288 returns which does not mention a church,
It now comprises a nave, chancel, north aisle of 5 granite bays with semicircular arches, three stage west tower with a 3-sided granite battlemented rood stair turret,. south porch & a small vestry In the angle of the chancel and north aisle . In 1553 there were 4 bells which were recast as 6 bells in 1763 by Pennington; the 4th bell was recast again in 1823 by Hambling of Blackawton.
The rood screen was removed in 1810. ( ! ! )
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales of 1870 described the building as " old and plain and recently was dilapidated."
Something had to be done, and In 1896 / 7 the church was restored when the whole building was reroofed. This appears to have involved the rebuilding of the south wall of the nave, reusing the 15c windows. A small vestry was added on the north side of the chancel in the angle with the north aisle. Also the south porch was rebuilt with a reset medieval doorframe similar to that of the west tower doorway .
The late 19c organ has painted pipes and a keyboard from the USA.
Later there was much refurbishment in early 20c when the carved oak altar, freestone reredos & altar rail were placed in the chancel
www.google.co.uk/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x486d1fa387a74b3d%3A0x124...