St Peter the Poor Fisherman, Revelstoke, Devon, 26 June 2013

                                      

Sometimes you visit places feigning interest when you are not really into it in spirit.  And then, there are those special places that truly grab you by the heart and stay with you for the rest of your life.  Not all of us will feel the same about a certain place. We each feel in a different way.  For me, St Peter the Poor Fisherman stands out among those very special places.

 

It intrigued me from the moment Maggie sent me a photo of it.  An isolated and abandoned church.  That alone was enough to interest me.  But when I arrived on it’s doorstep it was a very different emotion that went through me.  I instantly took to this small stone ruin of a church. The grass around it was long and wildflowers were growing freely. Nature, if it was not kept at bay, would easily take over.  For an abandoned church it did not have an oppressive feeling, instead it seemed bathed in serenity.  

 

Tucked up on a steep hillside it is a short walk from the parking lot down to the church.

 

Approached from the road the first impression of St Peter's is how plain it is. A rough stone exterior with few windows and a heavy wooden door. There are two sections of the church where the roof is still intact.  The first is in front of you where a baptismal font and a few benches are provided for rest and/or contemplation. This area leads through the porch door to the cemetery.  A corridor to the left leads to a small room where a plaque dedicated to a husband and wife is set into the plastered wall.

 

Wagtails were busy nesting in the square holes left in the walls by missing rafters.

 

The flagstone floor is overgrown by grass and flowers are growing in the walls perhaps from the nesting wagtails or blown there from the sea winds.

Extensive restoration to the double-arched roof is obvious with the new beam's flat machine cut surfaces in sharp contract to the hand sawn originals. St Peter's is one of the more fortunate churches to have retained a large amount of original beautifully hand carved architectural detail. 

They are not, however, the only interesting treats. 

Along the short corridor you can not miss two wooden 'tablets' containing the  Ten Commandments. 




Another interesting object is a recessed pointed arch maybe six inches across and made from different stone than the
 church walls. 

Although St Peter's is no longer used for regular services there are signs it is visited to mark the anniversary of a war or as a quiet place for solace. A memorial wreath rests gently on a window sill, and tucked up in another, someone had fashioned a simple vine cross.  It was lovely to see both tributes.  Nothing fancy, just two acts of love. 

 

 

 

                                       The Cemetery
 

 

I went outside to explore the cemetery.  Meandering along the overgrown footpath I tried to read some of the inscriptions on the surrounding gravestones, but unfortunately most are worn off from exposure to the salt air. There is one stone that is very different for the rest. A carved cross in it's top creates a clover-like silhouette on the wall behind it. I wondered if it's placement against the wall was deliberate to draw attention to the grave. If it were set in the middle of the cemetery the effect would not be as dramatic. 

Wanting to take photos of the cemetery from a more interesting angle I laid down in the path hoping that no one would see me as I wasn't sure how I would explain myself. I remained there for a long time thinking about who these people were and what their lives were like in this little village by the sea. [In my later research I learned that many had passed away during a cholera outbreak in the 1800's].

                            


Rounding the corner to return to the front of the church I discovered a pair of graves enclosed within a wrought iron fence.  One headstone is covered in moss with a snail attached to it and the other enveloped in white and pink flowers. It is quite pretty the way the wildflowers have grown up surrounding the resting place of two souls. Perhaps it is the husband and wife from the  plaque inside of the church?

  

I returned to the interior of the church where the wagtails are not the only birds sheltering within the walls.  A pair of fledging swallows excited chirps are heard as they chased each other around the arches beams.  








It is not often that you get the opportunity to observe these little birds this close. It was like watching siblings rough- house; daring each other to fly higher and faster.  Their abandoned mud nest, about a foot in diameter, just visible in the shadows of the beams.

St Peter's is worth the visit especially to see the interior carvings.  Cathedrals have their ornate screens, tapestries and tombs, but for me it is the small parish church that gives me a feel for the ordinary people who lived in remote places like Revel Cove.
 

History:

Some information regarding the age of this church dates it back to a Saxon origin or as late as the 13th century. It is also possible that this church was built on the site of much older one which is fairly common, this happens due to war, natural disaster or the place has always been considered 'sacred' to Christians or pagans.  Regardless, it has been here a very long time.According to one source I found (GenUKI) the 'first written evidence of the existence [of a church at Revelstoke] does not appear until 1225 when it is mentioned in a charter.'  This means there was a church here during Henry III's (Plantagenant) reign, if that helps you place it in a historical perspective.

The cemetery is much later, and according to the same source, the village was granted permission to bury their dead next to the then, Chapel of St Peter, in the 15th century.

Eventually the church was abandoned for a more convenient church in  Noss Mayo and later a new St Peter's was built in around the 1880's.   

The name Revelstoke quite possibly derives from the wealthy family who owned the land in that area and were the patrons who built the new church St Peter's Revelstoke.  The Chapel of St Peter at some time then became known as St Peter the Poor Fisherman presumably, to distinguish it from the newer church with the same dedication.

It is unfortunate it remained empty for over a century attacked by the elements so that some of the original architecture and detail have been lost.  The good news is that the Churches Conservation Trust is overseeing the care and restoration of this lovely little treasure so, hopefully, this will insure it will be cared for many years to come.

Architecture:

It is a simple church yet there are hints of former grandeur here and there that made me wish I had seen it when it was in its full glory.  Some of the details look similar to Norman design while other areas seem much older.    

 

In trying to determine the origins of St Peter’s I have made a few observations about it’s construction. My thoughts are that it’s present appearance, like many churches and other buildings, has been altered to suit the needs of the parish it served and the changes in tastes/prosperity over it’s existence. I am no expert, but here are my observations:

 Is it Pre-Conquest? (pre 1066)

The walls are thin vertical stone and the arches over the doors both indications of this style.

Is it Norman? (1066)

The thick square tower (unfortunately I have no photograph of this part of the church) is built at the west end of the nave which occurs most often in Norman plans.

Is it Decorated?  (mid-12^th century)

The double-arched braced roof is unique to the Devon district and well developed at the time of the Norman and Early English periods.  The Decorative period was during a time of relative peace allowing carpenters and architects more freedom to add touches of refinement and beauty to the interiors of churches. I include the ‘tracerey’ double and triple windows found at St Peter’s [which developed gradually from the Pre-Conquest two windows separated with a pilaster strip] here as they have the addition of a tympanum and wide width of this style as well.

  Pre-Conquest semi-round doorway.

Wide, tracery triple windows indicative of the Decoration period











 Double-arch braced roof.











The rafters included at St Peter's are four distinct designs: a swirling wave pattern (above), the more traditional Christian themed wheat sheaves [the divine harvest] & oak [strength/eternity] and a much later addition of the Tudor Rose.
   

 

St Peter the Poor Fisherman was one of the highlights of my explorations.  To be able to wander around in complete freedom to photograph the hidden treasures this plain little church holds was a privilege. I hope to someday return for another visit. 

I am pleased that organizations such as The Churches Conservation Trust are finding them and spending the money needed to preserve treasures such St Peter’s.  I wouldn’t want to have someone come in and completely ‘restore’ the church but to conserve it and not let it decay anymore is a wonderful hope for its future.  I have added a link to their organization so that you can join me in helping to preserve St Peter the Poor Fisherman ,and other churches at risk, by donating or becoming a member of the trust. (See 'Links' page)

NEXT UP: the road brings us to an island that was the setting several television and movies. You might recognize the hotel from Agatha Christie's Poirot where dangerous cliffs and hidden caves are the perfect setting for murder...BURGH ISLAND.