Post by Dave on Oct 14, 2018 17:22:10 GMT
St Peters The Poor Fisherman Church Ruins & Stoke Beach 14th October 2018
Not only was it my birthday today, but it was also the start of a very much needed week off work. I had a plan for the afternoon once the rain had stopped and I could not have enjoyed a better day out if I had tried. I knew what to expect for part one of the photo shoot today, but part two of the shoot blew me away.
Why go away for a holiday when there is still so much to explore right on our own doorstep and I always find that new place that just gets me wondering why I had not been there before.
The place I wanted to visit today was the Church Of St Peter The Poor Fisherman at Revestoke that was built in 1226. The church is an odd mixture of fine medieval features and roofless sections open to the elements. The aisle and porch have very finely carved medieval wagon roofs, but the nave and chancel are roofless and unadorned. The church was badly damaged by a storm in 1840, and began to be used less and less.
Finally a new church was built and In 1882 the old church was left to decay until it was rescued by a charitable group in 1971. It is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It is still consecrated and occasional services are held in the church during the summer.
Just to north east of the church lies a small child's grave, the burial place of Rupert Baring. One of Lord Revelstoke’s sons, Maurice Baring, was a popular early 20th century author. In his autobiography he wrote about this small grave:
“In 1878 when I was 4 years old, another brother was born, Rupert, in August, but he died in October of the same year. He was buried at Revelstoke Church, a church not used anymore, and then in ruins except for one aisle which was roofed in, and provided with pews. It nestled by the seashore, right down on the rocks, grey and covered with ivy, and surrounded by quaint tombstones that seemed to have been scattered haphazard in the thick grass and the nettles.”
Although there are some gravestones from the 17th and 18th centuries, a large proportion of the graves are dated around the 1840s due to a serious cholera epidemic which decimated the population of Noss Mayo. A brass coin of Nero was once found in the wall of the church.
It takes about one hour to drive from Paignton to the ruined church, its all mostly lanes and the last one to a very small car park at the top of the nearby caravan park is very narrow indeed.
The closed road down to the church is very steep and believe me it takes a lot longer walking back up it. The caravan park on the left looks very old as do a number of the vans, it very much looked like some were being lived in, others might just be used for holidays etc.
Halfway down there is a path through the caravan park that takes you to Stoke Beach, but I headed straight to the church. I started to wonder how much further it was going to be but then there it was right before my eyes.
I can’t imagine how long it would have taken people to get to the church back in the middle ages; it must have been a whole day out on a Sunday. All alone I opened the door of the church and went in, a strange feeling came over me, but I soon forgot that as I got clicking away. Placed over one of the grave stones? on the church floor was a unopened small bottle of rum, I wonder what that is all about and who put it there.
I stayed in and around the church for a good while, there was nobody there except me and I enjoyed the peace and quite before heading off for the path to Stoke Beach. As I walked through the caravan park I saw nobody but did hear a few voices.
Once through the park the path narrows and very soon I found myself at the top of a large ladder type structure that took me down to the beach. It has to be the best beach I have ever been on, so many wonderful rock formations to walk around and in between. I had to be mindful of the incoming tide
I could have stayed there forever, while it would be nice to not always having to do such days as this one out on my own, I am happy in my own company as long as I have a camera with me.
Time to head back to the car and that ladder seemed a lot scarier going up it than it did coming down it. Back through the park and up the steepest part of the road at a nice slow and steady pace.
Wonderful afternoon and one I shall remember for a very long time.
