England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Spreyton St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Spreyton lies almost centrally within the county of Devon being roughly 10 miles west of the market town of Crediton and 8 miles east of Okehampton. Spreyton is a compact village which sits high on a hill roughly 2 miles east of the A3124 road which connects Whaddon Down through to North Tawton. Spreyton consists of a "T" junction of lanes with most properties lying either side of the main lane heading westwards from that junction. Like most mid-Devon parishes Spreyton is dominated by pastoral farming, the small hedged fields supporting mainly beef cattle on the rich, red soils of sandstone that characterise this area of the county. Spreyton is drained northwards by the infant River Yeo, a tributary of the Taw which is joined northwest of Lapford and flows to the irish Sea arriving through the port of Bideford. Spreyton sits at the height of 220 metres above the sea, a height which is not more than marginally succeeded until the might of Dartmoor some few miles away to the southwest. Spreyton parish is amongst the largest in area in this part of the county, covering some 3,600 acres it would have supported a population of close to 400 parishioners. In Domesday times Spreyton was a holding of one Baldwin, a sheriff, and could offer a modest 8 ploughs together with the usual meadows, pastures and woodland.

The Church

St Michael's church sits on the southern side of Spreyton's main lane and towards the western end of the village, the church is slightly tucked away behind fronting properties. St Michael's proximity to Dartmoor is exposed in its ashlar blocks of granite quarried from the nearby moor, a mighty tower being raised in these durable blocks to stand over the church. A claim to fame of the church is that 30 other church towers can be seen from its site. An inscription on the chancel roof, an elaborate affair praised by Pevsner, of 1451 seems a good date for much of the church which is largely built in the Perpendicular style of the 15th century. Pevsner is light on dating details, much change dates from the major restoration of 1913 which masks most of that detail. It is clear, however, that the 1451 date of the chancel roof also is indicative of a major rebuild at that 15th century date. The lane which passes the churchyard is narrow so parking must be careful not to disrupt this main route through the village, a wooden gateway set into the hedge-topped stone walling of the churchyard grants access at the western end of the site. Sadly the churchyard has many major blocking trees which markedly restrict the angles available for the photographer to work with.