Synopsis: Six Exe Valley churches in one afternoon, by bicycle. A lovely ride, and well within reach of Exeter. It was a treat to escape the city for an afternoon in the peace and tranquillity of the countryside.
(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)
I recently walked in the area just north of Exeter and realised that there was the possibility of doing some enjoyable cycling thereabouts. I packed some food and drink, dropped my GPS and tablet computer into in my pannier, and set off for Eastern Fields with no great plan in mind.
I like the name Easter Fields. It’s suggestive, to me at least, of Oriental flavour, possibly a hint of Eastern Promise. Ok, so how many of you remember that phrase? Remember it, but can’t place it? If I remember correctly, I think it was Fry’s Turkish Delight used it in their television commercial for their product. The main theme I seem to recall was the display of exotic dancers from the east. Eastern Fields may not offer this, but it does provide a number of conveniently situated benches, one of which, as pictured here, I chose for my lunch stop.
Eating lunch gave me the time I needed to mull over just where I was going to cycle. I hit upon the idea of making it a church circuit. On my recent walk I’d passed 3 churches: Pinhoe, Poltimore and Huxham, so I knew I could include these, and possibly a few more. So as soon as I’d consumed my lunch I cycled (and pushed) up a newly laid path to Pinhoe parish church. By the time I’d reached it the clouds had dispersed and the day was gorgeous.
Pinhoe church was locked (as were all churches I visited today), so after a brief stop, I gave some thought to how to get to Poltimore. The advantage of having my recently acquired tablet is I can connect to the Internet and look up maps on it. I soon had my route to Poltimore in my head, and so off I cycled. There was this fantastic view out over the valley as I began to drop towards Poltimore.
I really hoped to look inside Poltimore church, as it’s one of my favourite Devon churches, but it was locked on this occasion, so had to satisfy myself with a brief wander around the churchyard. If you’d like to see some photos of mine of Poltimore church taken on a previous visit, see my photo album on Flickr: 81 Broadclyst & Killerton. During my wander around the churchyard I came across this wonderfully ornate gate and gate piers.
Back on my bicycle I headed off towards my next church which was to be found at Huxham. Huxham is a tiny hamlet which on first sight hardly seems deserving of a church, but I’m coming round to believing these churches, which seem to have too small a community, actually draw from quite a far flung community of farms across the neighbouring countryside. This little hamlet sits right on the edge of Stoke Woods which rise quite steeply in front of it.
Cycle clips at the ready I ask my GPS to get me to Stoke Cannon where I’ll find my next church, and find that it’s only a short hop down the lane. I’d driven past this church on many an occasion and often thought I must stop to take a look at it some day. Well, that day was to be today.
I sat on a bench near the door and checked my tablet PC for the location of my next church. Someone had mentioned this church to me before, as being beautifully situated right in the middle of fields, seemingly miles from anywhere. I only knew it was in this approximate location and therefore had to scan the map for a PW (Place of Worship) stuck in the middle of a field. It was easy to make out on the map, so off I set a pedalling once again.
The church in question is Netherexe Church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist. I caught my first sight of this church across fields as I bumped my way on my bicycle along a dirt track. And yes, there it stood, in the middle of fields, with no other property in sight. I parked by bike against a stile and crossed a field on foot to reach the church. The size of the yew trees in the churchyard suggested a church had been here for some time, and I’ve since read that the first mention of a church was recorded in the Domesday Book. It was a beautiful place to be this warm and sunny evening.
I had one final church to visit on this my church cycle circuit, and that was to be the church at Brampford Speke. A quick check of my online map indicated that after backtracking a short distance I could then pick up a path along the banks of the River Exe that would take me to a footbridge over the river into the village. Following this route I was soon in the picturesque village of Brampford Speke.
This final, and sixth church on my circuit, was a little hemmed in, so getting a photograph wasn’t easy. I had to resort to a panoramic shot stitched together ‘post production’. Hopefully you’ll not detect the joins. By now the evening was well upon me and the acute rays of the sun provided an atmospheric light in which to view the church.
Nothing more to do but cycle home at this point. I opted to make for a route along the course of the River Exe to avoid hills. As I went I did actually catch a glimpse of one final church, which at the time I didn’t know which it was. Checking a map later I discovered it was the church at Upton Pyne.
Impromptu today’s cycle ride may have been, but it was none the worse for that. Yes, it was disappointing that all six churches I visited today were locked, but sadly that is probably a sign of the times. Nevertheless, it had been a splendid day in the saddle.
For further reading on the churches I visited today, I recommend examining the description from each church’s listing:
1. Pinhoe Church (Church of St Michael and all Angels (Listed Grade II*))
2. Poltimore Church (The Parish Church of St Mary (Listed Grade I))
3. Huxham Church (Church of St John the Baptist (Listed Grade II*))
4. Stoke Canon Church (The Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene (Listed Grade I))
5. Netherexe Church (Netherexe Parish Church (Listed Grade I))
6. Brampford Speke Church (The Parish Church of St Peter (Listed Grade I))
Cycle Statistics:
Total Distance: 22.8 miles
Moving Time: 4hrs 02min
Stopped Time: 2hrs 05min
Total Ascent: 532 metres
Maximum Elevation: 119 metres
Buses: (none)
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