England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Loxbeare St Michael & All Angels

The Parish

The parish of Loxbeare lies in northeastern Devon roughly 4 miles northwest of the market town of Tiverton. Loxbeare sits immediately south of the A361 (North Devon Link Road) which connects Tiverton through to Barnstaple. Loxbeare is a tiny place with just a few properties gathered around its church on steeply sloping ground, further properties lie in the valley to the west at Deepaller with the remainder of the parish dotted with isolated farmsteads. Like most Devon parish pastoral farming would have been the mainstay of the economy with dairy cattle the local speciality.  Loxbeare is drained southwestwards y a small stream which meets the River Exe immediately north of Tiverton, the Exe trends southwards to Exeter and reaches the English Channel though its own extensive estuary. Loxbeare is sited between 160 and 200 metres above the sea in strongly undulating countryside which is much incised by the streams, land continues to steadily rise northwestwards rising to 301 metres at the summit of Stoodleigh Beacon. Loxbeare was a relatively small parish almost contained within that of Tiverton, it covered just under 1,400 acres and would have supported a population of around 150 parishioners. Domesday Loxbeare was equally small and rural, held by Bishop Geoffrey of Coutances it could muster just a pair of ploughs with small meadows and woodland patches as further meagre assets

The Church

Many sources state the dedication of Loxbeare's church as "unknown" today's online mapping seems confident to term it as dedicated to St Michael & All Angels. The church sits enclosed within a complex set of right-angled bends that the main lane performs to skirt its churchyard. Like many small rural churches the building dates back to the earliest periods for stone-built churches, it is likely that the entire construction preceded the 13th century but, of course, there has been much change and restoration since those early times. The south door is the church's pride-and-joy being almost untouched since its construction in the 12th century, the rich Norman Romanesque carving of zigzag moulding being notable. All of the later changes makes Pevsner reluctant to date most features, Historic England is less conservative giving a provisional dating of 12th or early 13th century for the unbuttressed and rather blocky western tower. Two restorations of 1850 and 1896 are responsible for most of the alterations, the chancel being virtually rebuilt in the earlier one which also inserted the Norman-style east window as well as adding the northeastern vestry. During these works the tower also received much attention including the belfry stage and string course. Opposite to the churchyard gates lies a broad parking area allowing a leisurely visit. The churchyard has rather tall hedging around and a single evergreen dominating the southeastern quadrant, all other angles are available for the photographer.