Churches of the British Isles

St Mary's Church, Sheviock, sits at the centre of this village, a short way north of Crafthole (above). General access is via the A374 road to the church's south. It was consecrated by Bishop Bronescombe of Exeter (see links) on Monday 13 October 1259. However, the parish is much older than the present building, being mentioned in Domesday Book. That older building was mentioned in a papal bull of 1193. It consisted of a tower with spire, and nave and chancel.

Two transepts were added between 1350 and 1370, turning the church's original (rebuilt) plan into a cruciform shape. The north aisle was added about 1430 and the church roof was paved with slate. Seats were provided only for the infirm and elderly, being placed up against the walls. The church was restored in 1851 under the supervision of G E Street, and this is when the east window was put in. The pulpit and choir stalls were added in 1910 to complete today's building.

The Church of St James the Apostle, Antony sits to the south of Antony Hill on the western side of this village which sits to the east of Sheviock (above). This elegant Grade 1 listed building was dedicated to St James (the Great) on 14 October 1259. Despite additions in the 1300s, the present church building is thought to have replaced the original structure around 1420. It is situated on an eminence above the village, and the ascent to it is by flights of granite steps.

The church was fully renovated in the middle of the 1800s. The old bench-ends inside the building the have been incorporated into the pulpit and stalls in the chancel. The two-stage west tower sits on a moulded plinth with diagonal west buttresses weathered east buttresses. The church interior remains unplastered. Part of the nave and chancel survives from the thirteenth century despite the fifteenth century rebuild, includes a sedilia and round-arched chamfered piscina.

Antony Wesleyan Methodist Chapel can be found by heading south-west along Antony Hill and taking the first left-hand turn at the St John Turn bus stop. The white house about sixty metres down the lane is the former chapel. Built around the 1830s with an adjoining cottage, it is marked on post-1930 maps and presumably became a Methodist church in 1932. Both buildings were converted for residential dwelling in the 1980s and remain in good condition.

Three photos on this page kindly contributed by JMC4 - Church Explorer (two) and Rex Harris via the 'History Files: Churches of the British Isles' Flickr group, and three copyright © Roger Geach, Derek Harper, and Peter Jeffrey, all via Geograph, reused under a cc licence.