England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Instow St John the Baptist

The Parish

The parish of Instow lies in the extreme northwest of Devon, indeed it forms part of Devon's northern coast albeit with joint estuaries of the Taw & Torridge rivers which meet off of Instow. Instow is located about 3 miles north of the port of Bideford and sits on the quiet coastal B3233 road which connects Bideford with Barnstaple. Instow is a fairly linear village built along the shore of the estuaries, its sandy beach is one attraction and it previously would have been involved with port activities as well as fish & shellfish. Inland the land would have been largely pastoral and a small quarrying operation would have added to economic diversity. As a coastal community only small brooks are required to drain to the Taw & Torridge which soon meet the Bristol Channel to Instow's northwest. Instow is sited at sea level but the upper parts of the village climb some 30 metres or more to the level of St John's church, the land is strongly undulating with local heights reaching over 120 metres within a mile or two. Instow parish was quite small by the standards of North Devon, it covered just over 1,600 acres and would have supported a population of around 550 parishioners. In Domesday times Instow was held by one Walter of Claville and was a very small place indeed not declaring any ploughs just small meadows, pastures and woodland occupied by a few detailed livestock.

The Church

St John the Baptist's church sits quite high above Instow over a half mile northeast of the quays. There are remnants indicating that the church was in situ in the ear;y 14th or late 13th centuries. Pevsner dates the renewed chancel windows to this time period. Much else dates from the middle of the 16th century when the church was extensively rebuilt in the Perpendicular style. Engraved dates of 1547 are inscribed on the arcade piers as proof of that date. In common with most churches St John was extensively restored in this case in 1875 to produce the present day building. The church sits in a highly sloping and elevated site above Rectory Lane and its crossroads with Worlington Hill. The churchyard is almost at head height and banked by a recently renewed local stone wall. At the western end of the site a set of steps climbs up into the churchyard. Once within the churchyard there are few obstacles to photography.