Churches of the British Isles

St John in the Wilderness, Withycombe Raleigh, is on the eastern side of St John's Road, about a hundred and twenty metres along a lane which flanks St John's Farm on its northern side. The location is at the empty north-east corner of the built-up Withycombe and Brixington area. Built in the mid-1300s-1400s, the church was known as St Michael's Chapel during the reign of Henry VIII, and even now is more formally known as the church of St John the Baptist.

Much of it was pulled down in 1778, leaving only the two-stage tower (with a bell of the 1600s) and a north aisle. Then it was rebuilt in the 1920s, possibly as the third version on the site, the first being late Anglo-Saxon or early Norman. It was rebuilt in the Perpendicular style, with a re-ordering being carried out between 2002 and 2005 to provide modern facilities. The nave and chancel are divided by arcading from a north - or 'Lady' - aisle which is covered by wagon roofs.

Brixington Community Church is on Churchill Road's north side, at its north end, with Elmwood Road behind it and overlooking Brixington village shops. Founded as Brixington Free Church (Baptist) when the estate was laid out, it was Victoria Road Baptist Church which took on the site on 2 April 1964 after the established denominations had turned it down. The site was accepted early in 1965 for a nominal fee. It took years to fund the build: formal opening was in May 1973.

Point-in-View Chapel is located at the southern end of a lane which leads off the southern side of Summer Lane, at the very northern edge of Exmouth. This unique chapel was built high above the Exe estuary in 1811 for two eccentric cousins, Jane and Mary Parminter of A la Ronde, which is just along the lane. The building originally contained the tiny chapel, four almshouses, and a schoolroom. The 'point' it had 'in view' was the conversion to Christianity of the Jews.

Originally part of the A la Ronde estate, the chapel is the final resting place of the cousins. The Parminters were well known in North Devon as far back as 1600, becoming wealthy merchants. Jane Parminter lived in Portugal for some time, and toured Europe from 1784 with her orphaned cousin, Mary. In 1795 the two ladies settled in Devon, attending Exmouth's Glenorchy URC until the journey became too arduous. Point-in-View was the solution, and it remains in use today.

One photo on this page by P L Kessler, one each kindly contributed by Robert Slack and Dubris via the 'History Files: Churches of the British Isles' Flickr group, one copyright © Sarah Charlesworth via Geograph, reused under a cc licence, and one from the History Files collection.