10 September 2017 - Cycle: East Budleigh, Budleigh Salterton and Exmouth (29.4 Miles)

Synopsis: A chance to see the Salem Chapel, East Budleigh on Heritage Open Days. Cycle route over Woodbury Common involves small amount of off-road riding. Popped in on Farringdon Church for lunch.

Photo Set – Flickr -:- (Map)

GPS Tracklog Download (.gpx) Microsoft OneDrive -:- Google Drive

 

Tracklog and Photos - Google My Map

Tracklog overlay - OSM – ViewRanger -:- OS – WheresThePath

 

Activity Route & Statistics – Runtastic

 

(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)

‘Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble.’ And other such conjuring by the Weird Sisters. But let’s leave that aside for the moment. This blog post describes a visit to Salem Chapel, East Budleigh, made possible under the Heritage Open Days (HOD) scheme. This scheme ran 7-10 September 2017. It is an annual event that makes places normally closed to public viewing, and those that involve subscribed entry, open for free to the public. To view blog posts that describe other Heritage Open Days visits of mine, please see Tag in column to the right.

My primary objective today was to revisit the church, Salem Church including Boundary Walls and Assembly Room (Listed Grade II*), East Budleigh, a place I’d previously only seen from the outside. I first came across this chapel whilst out cycling in 2014 (see blog post: 16 August 2014 - Cycle: Exeter to Budleigh Salterton via Farringdon (33.1 Miles)). On that occasion the chapel was not open. I was intrigued to see and know more, and therefore made a mental note then and there to return. Today, three years later, was the day for doing that. There were rain showers about, but I decided to chance it. I made use of the route I had cycled in 2014, loading that to my GPS for navigation. I opted for my road bike, as it is generally quicker than my mountain bike, although the route I was to take did involve a couple of short sections of off-road riding (see marked on associated Google My Map, link above).

Farringdon - Church of St Petrock and St Barnabus (Listed Grade II*)

My first objective was to reach Farringdon Church, the Church of St Petrock and St Barnabus (Listed Grade II*),  where I intended to break my journey and have a picnic lunch. First off, let me say, I very much like this church. It is not at all typical of a Devon church, having a very distinctive style of its own. In fact Pevsner makes reference to the ‘un-Devonian broach-spire’ (Devon – Pevsner) [Amazon].

 

Farringdon - Church of St Petrock and St Barnabus (Listed Grade II*) - The chancel, choir and altar

 

 

But, as mentioned in my previous blog post, there is something that makes me smile. Apparently the Exeter born historian William George Hoskins opinion of this church, was to describe it as “hideous”. I think that a bit harsh. This opinion has always been quite the opposite to my reaction. I do believe the people of Farringdon have taken this on the chin, and now wear this as a sort of rather perverse badge of honour. It’s said, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

 

Woodbury Common - short off-road section through the woods

I didn’t stay too long at Farringdon Church, nor did I take many photos. If you wish to see more of this church, I recommend you visit my previous blog of 2014 (link above). I took a quick stroll around the church to savour its atmosphere, and then found a wall on which to perch as I ate my lunch. I then set off cycling on the next leg of my journey to East Budleigh.

The cycling this far had been relatively easy along country lanes with gentle inclines. Now my way started to climb a little more steeply as I approached Woodbury Common. A short section of this route over the common was along a rough track, which did slow my progress. It wasn’t long however before I began the descent along a country lane into East Budleigh.

Inscription: 'Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) Unveiled by HRH The Duke of Kent K.G. - 9 February 2006'

East Budleigh in a nutshell: Without doubt East Budleigh’s biggest claim to fame has to be that Sir Walter Raleigh (1554-1618) was born just down the road at Hayes Barton. Apparently, ‘East Budleigh was an important settlement until the Otter ceased to be navigable.’ At the crossroads is a pillar (photo), ‘Of brick, with a rectangular stone cap bearing religious inscriptions and a cross, erected in 1580 by the Sheriff of Devon who had to order the burning of a witch at the crossroads.’ – (Devon – Pevsner) [Amazon]

Quotation: ‘To put these [Exeter] executions into context, the last case in Scotland was as late as 1727 when a witch was executed by burning. There were also the notorious witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts, which resulted in the execution of 19 alleged witches in the course of 1692-3. Across Britain the overwhelming majority (around 80%) of those accused of witchcraft during the 16th-17th centuries were female, which is borne out by the statistics for the West Country.’ (Devon Witches) [Exeter Civic Society]

See: Forensic artist reconstructs face of Scottish 'witch' (BBC News – 31/10/2017)

Witches aside, I made straight for Salem Chapel (Listed Grade II*). But, before continuing here, let me briefly mention a place brought to mind when first I saw Salem Chapel. That place is Loughwood Meeting House (NT), which I’d visited in 2014 (see blog post: 15 March 2014 - Walk: Loughwood Meeting House (8.5 Miles)). The austerity of these two places is stark. Stripped of all the usual ornamentation typically found in a church, these places seem to represent the elemental quality of devotion. And, as much as I take pleasure in the ostentatious decoration of traditional churches, I am equally charmed by the rawness of dissenters’ chapels such as these. The desire of the people to pare back the pomp and dross and re-vitalise from core belief must surely evoke sympathy. So, what is the history of Salem Chapel?

Roger Conant (colonist) [Wikipedia] - Transcription of plaque: 'Roger Conant Born 1592 - Died 1679 The first settler of Salem, 1626 -:- "I was a means through grace assisting me, to stop the flight of those few that then were here with me, and that by my utter denial to go away with the, who would have gone either for England, or mostly for Virginia"'

The name, Salem Chapel, when first I came upon it intrigued me, as I was aware of the name Salem from the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, about the Salem witch trials, which I’d studied many, many years ago, and once seen in London. And, yes, there is a connection between the Salem, Massachusetts, USA, and this Salem Chapel, East Budleigh, as unlikely at that might seem. The explanation is given in a caption on a noticeboard to be found in the Assembly Room: ‘Roger Conant lived in the Mill House [East Budleigh] that stood near this car park. He and his brother Christopher sailed for America in 1623 and with his followers founded the town of Salem, Massachusetts, where a statue of his stands. His descendants still keep in touch with East Budleigh.’ Roger Conant, however, had no direct connection with this chapel, since it was built later (1719).

What I did find interesting, upon further research, was the connection of witches between East Budleigh and Salem, Massachusetts. Much of Salem town’s cultural identity reflects its role as the location of the infamous Salem witch trials. To discover upon subsequent reading (see mention above) that a witch was burnt at the stake in the centre of East Budleigh, makes for a strong historical theme connecting these two places. Exeter, my home town, is also significant in this respect, in that it notoriously, was the last place in England in which a group of witches were condemned to death, by the infamous Judge Jefferies, for practising witchcraft.

Salem Church including Boundary Walls and Assembly Room (Listed Grade II*)

Viewed from the outside, Salem Chapel and its Assembly Room could easily be passed without a moment’s notice. Perhaps taken to be a couple of farm outbuildings. The pillared gateway to the chapel with iron trellis arch and the yew hedging  perhaps being the only visual clues that here is something more than a couple of utility buildings, although Pevsner says ‘eye-catching’ of the outward appearance (eye of the beholder perhaps?).

 

[Salem Church including Boundary Walls and Assembly Room (Listed Grade II*)]: The ground floor pews facing the altar

The interior is striking, in that it is a large open space, with the roof supported on a central iron pillar. It is airy, simple and elegant. The balcony, along three walls, is supported on slender iron pillars. The first floor box pews are possibly original, the ground floor pews a later addition. The central clock on the rear gallery is placed just as it is at Loughwood Meeting House. The total seating capacity is quite large. The solitary cross above the altar is about the only other decoration in the chapel. It is beautifully unpretentious.

[Salem Church including Boundary Walls and Assembly Room (Listed Grade II*)]: The first floor balcony with box pews

 

 

 

I mentioned my curiosity regarding the derivation of the name Salem to the the lady serving tea in the Assembly Rooms. I asked if it was Biblical, as it seemed possibly so to me. The name Salem is Arabic. The Biblical Salem ‘is traditionally identified with Jerusalem’ [Wikipedia]. There are numerous places named Salem all over the globe. There is even a Salem in Cornwall.

[Budleigh Salterton]: Shingle beach and diaphanous clouds

On leaving Salem Chapel, I returned to the centre of the pretty village of East Budleigh. From there I picked up a track rising above the village. The track was rough and rutted and a little muddy, so progress was slow once again. It wasn’t long before I joined a lane and the going became easy. I then made quick time down to Budleigh Salterton on the coast. The sun was making its best efforts to put in an appearance.

[Budleigh Salterton]: At this point a signed Permissive Path connects the road out of Budleigh Salterton with the disused railway cycle track that leads to Exmouth

 

Another shower of rain threatened, and therefore I wished to find a short route to the disused railway between Budleigh Salterton and Exmouth, which is now a cycle track, so as to be quickly on my way. There appeared to be a connecting path at the top end of Budleigh Salterton. My first choice [OS on DCC] was marked as ‘Path closed’ [OS on Bing Maps], but continuing up the hill a little further, I found this Permissive Path that led down to the cycle trail.

On approaching Exmouth, time had run on, so I didn’t linger. I picked up the Exe Estuary Trail and began my return journey in the direction of Exeter.

[Topsham]: A short break near the Goat Walk on the ride home from Exmouth to Exeter

As I reached Topsham, the rain showers had cleared, and a lovely sun shone across the waters of the estuary. I paused for a quick snack and photo before embarking on the last leg of my journey home.

It’s not every day that a person out on a bicycle ride gets to see two very interesting Grade II* listed churches. It’s important to recognise the significance of that all-important ‘*’ (star) in the listing. A Grade II* listed building is very nearly Grade I, and there aren’t that many of them, therefore they can be regarded as nearly as noteworthy as Grade I buildings. It is my view, that they are always worth a visit.

Physically, it had been quite a demanding day, and come the end of my tour I was quite exhausted. The choice of my road bike had been a good decision, as I had travelled quite quickly and with relative ease.

The Witch, occasionally seen flying about my garden

And, so, finally, the last word goes to the witches and their witchcraft, a recurrent theme of my story today. Oddly, as much as witchcraft is despised, it seems to me, rather perversely to arise from an intrinsic human need for magic in our lives. The sense that the prosaic is not nearly enough for us, and that we need to fill our lives with greater mystery and meaning. I am reminded of the seemingly hysterical words uttered by Blanche DuBois from the play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, when towards the end of that play she says, “I don't want realism. I want magic!” The question we have to ponder is, is that a streetcar that is en route to “Elysian Fields”. Sadly there was a malign and pernicious nature to the witch trials. Let’s spare a thought for the witches (past and present) this Halloween.

Walk Statistics:

Total Distance: 47.4 km / 29.4 miles
Moving Time: 4hrs 11min
Stopped Time: 52min
Total Ascent: 667 metres
Maximum Elevation: 164 metres

Buses: (none)

09 September 2017 - Walk: Tiverton Leat Perambulation (6.3 Miles)

Synopsis: An organised walk from Coggan’s Well in the centre of Tiverton to the source of the leat that supplies the well. Well supported, with 580 walkers completing the route. I have the certificate.

Photo Set – Flickr -:- (Map)

GPS Tracklog Download (.gpx) Microsoft OneDrive -:- Google Drive

 

Tracklog and Photos - Google My Map

Tracklog overlay - OSM – ViewRanger -:- OS – WheresThePath

 

Activity Route & Statistics – Runtastic

*** Please note, sections of this perambulation are not a dedicated public right of way ***

 

(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)

My ex-colleague Gill, who lives in Tiverton, told me of this forthcoming event months ago. I said at that time, it sounds interesting, and we agreed that I’d join her to do the walk together. Gill’s sister Diane also joined us for the initial stage, as far as the brief halt at the Waterworks at Allers.

A little history first. The Perambulation of the Town Leat is a traditional mediaeval custom, also known as water-bailing, that takes place in the town of Tiverton, once every seven years. The event commemorates and claims the gift of the town's water supply in the 13th century from Isabella, Countess of Devon. Isabella is an interesting character. Thought to have been the wealthiest most powerful woman in the country at the time. The granting of the Tiverton Leat was, I presume, a form of noblesse oblige, in the words of Nancy Mitford. Isabella is the countess that gives Countess Wear, in Exeter, its name. Her primary residence was Carisbrooke Castle (EH), on the Isle of Wight. Her mother, Amicia, founded Buckland Abbey (NT). I don’t know if a likeness of Isabella exists, but this photo shows what is said to be a possible likeness of Amicia, a sculpted portrait on the walls of Buckland Abbey. Today, the bloodline and title Earl of Devon resides with the Courtenays of Powderham Castle.

[Tiverton]: Coggan's Well, Fore Street

Coggan’s Well, a small trickle of water, bubbling to the surface in Fore Street, Tiverton, was the start point of the walk. A band played and a town dignitary made a proclamation of what was taking place today and the significance of this historic tradition and the right of the people of Tiverton. There was, within the crowd today, a great sense of being part of 800 years of history. The way was initially slow, as we squeezed through a narrow alleyway beside the pannier market.

Tiverton]: Castle Street

 

The way then opened up a little, as it follows a course down the middle of a road, by the town’s Masonic Lodge. This is a very picturesque part of Tiverton, and its lovely to see the water course has not been lost in a culvert, as is typically the case. Yes, there was a little rain, and an umbrella was a useful piece of equipment to be carrying today, but on we marched, unperturbed, in best English tradition.

[Tiverton]: The Town Leat courses through the gardens of a number of town houses

Apparently, written into the deeds of houses through whose property the leat flows, is a covenant, that allows the people to march through their grounds once every seven years. Although the leat has long ceased to be the towns water supply, it’s lovely that this old historic privilege survives in the laws of this country. The way we took did in deed pass through some attractive gardens of town houses.

We walked through suburbs and on into the countryside, passing the grounds of Knightshayes (NT), without actually seeing the property, just the Impey Walk entrance path. We passed Chettiscombe, a picturesque set of cottages by the leat. Climbing a lane for a short distance took us to the Aller Waterworks, which was another proclamation halt, and toilet stop (just the one toilet, so quite a queue!).

 

The procession snakes its way through the countryside

 

 

We were, by now, out in the countryside. The leat could still be seen wending its way through fields and woods, sometimes to our right, sometimes to our left. There was a great feeling of camaraderie, seeing the long snake of people curling its way into the distance. Odd thing was, everyone seemed to know everyone else. I, of course, was something of an interloper, but I think that went largely unnoticed.

The procession snakes its way through the countryside. At this point the leat had to be crossed (carefully)

 

There was mud, as there always is in the countryside, and crossing the leat had to be done with care. A couple of stiles caused quite a bottleneck, as people struggled to negotiate them. No one seemed in that much of a hurry; these 800-year old traditions have to be allowed to assume their own inexorable pace.

Gill, on guard at her post.

 

 

 

And so, finally, some tiring a little, we reached the source of the Tiverton Leat. It’s a fairly modest affair, just a corner of a field, with a metal marker stuck in the ground. But, of course, that was the place to stand and have our photos taken, our badge of honour. The post had been provided by a previous mayor of Tiverton, a Mr. A.T. Gregory. As the year on the post was slightly obscured by damage, I had to research the date. It would seem the post was erected in 1912.

The perambulation completed, revellers partied in the marquee to jazz music, with beer and pizza refreshment.

 

 

There was a marquee with a band playing at a nearby field, which is where all the leat-blazers congregated for beer and pizza. It had been a great experience, and lovely to see the community coming together like this, and having such fun. Still it rained. Gill and I were grateful for the lift her sister Diane offered us, to get us back to Tiverton. I was soon on the bus, and traveling home once again.

Walk Statistics:

Total Distance: 10.1 km / 6.3 miles
Moving Time: 4hrs 54min
Stopped Time: 47min
Total Ascent: 212 metres
Maximum Elevation: 482 metres

Buses: D & 55

02 September 2017 - Walk: Exeter Green Circle [2] (13.7 Miles)

Synopsis: A repeat walk of Exeter Green Circle, a designated and signposted route around the perimeter of Exeter. Leaflet from TIC. The route can be walked in either direction; once again I chose anti-clockwise.

Photo Set – Flickr -:- (Map)

GPS Tracklog Download (.gpx) Microsoft OneDrive -:- Google Drive

 

Tracklog and Photos - Google My Map

Tracklog overlay - OSM – ViewRanger -:- OS – WheresThePath

 

Activity Route & Statistics – Runtastic

 

(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)

As mentioned above, this is a repeat walk of the Exeter Green Circle, I first walked: 16 May 2009 – Walk: Exeter Green Circle (13.8 Miles) [my blog post on Blogger]. A leaflet is available that provides notes of interest and route maps (from: Visitor Information and Ticket Office or Exeter Central Library). The route is well signposted on the ground. This blog post of mine is purely some brief notes of my day’s walking. The map and tracklog links above may be useful to anyone wishing to navigate the walk route via GPS. More comprehensive notes I have included on the blog post for my previous outing on this trail (see link above).

As I’ve recently acquired HDR software (Photomatix from HDR Soft) I took some photos with the intention of producing HDR versions of them. That is to say I used Auto Exposure Bracketing to capture some of my shots today. I am still a relative novice with this software, so I’m quite sure I have room for improvement. Here are a couple of examples taken today, others can be found in my Flickr photo album (link above).

The grounds of Exeter University - The perfect bench

The Green Circle walk trail I followed took me up through the Pennsylvania housing estate to the very top of Stoke Woods. Then the path began to descend, taking a course through the grounds of Exeter University. There are some splendid gardens on the campus, and many magnificent trees too. How’s this for a bench? I think it quite perfect.

The Mill on the Exe - [Official web site]

 

 

 

This is the Mill on the Exe. It’s a pub that provides good meals and on a warm sunny day, it’s nice to sit out by the river. It’s situated on Head Weir. Only part of the original mill buildings survive today (see: Mill on the Exe [Exeter Memories]).

The grave of my great-grandmother's (Sarah Ann Andrews b.1847) daughter (Emma née Bennett b.1871) and her husband (Francis George Wright b.1868)

 

These next items are unlikely to be of general interest. As I was passing close by Exwick Cemetery, I decided to pop in, and visit the two family graves that are to be found there. The first grave I came upon is this one, which is the grave of my great-grandmother’s daughter, Emma née Bennett, and her husband Francis George Wright. Emma took in and cared for her step-father, James Clapperton (b.1835/d.1907), my great-grandfather, during the final years of his life. James, from Scotland, led an interesting life, having served in the army for twenty years, becoming a Chelsea Pensioner, before settling down in Devon to start a family (and thank goodness he did).

 

The grave of my grandparents Frank Slack and Florence née Clapperton

 

 

 

 

This next photo shows the grave of my grandparents. My grandfather, Frank Slack, died when I was very young, and I therefore have no memory of him. My grandmother, Florence née Clapperton, died when I was age 19, and I do have numerous memories of her. She would usually be watching the horse racing on television on our family visits, and apparently she was good at picking winners. Gran Florence used to bet on the horses even before this became legal beyond the race track (see: ‘Betting Levy Act – 1961’), but we’re not going to tell anyone about that, are we?

 

The Exeter Green Circle is an excellent walk of good length providing much of interest around its route. I had a thoroughly enjoyable day today, and felt well exercised come the end.

Walk Statistics:

Total Distance: 22.0 km / 13.7 miles
Elapsed Time: 3hrs 05min
Stopped Time: 30min
Total Ascent: 296 metres
Maximum Elevation: 141 metres

Buses: (none) – Walked from home