English Heritage sites near Northlew Parish
OKEHAMPTON CASTLE
6 miles from Northlew Parish
Once the largest castle in Devon, nestling in the foothills of Dartmoor. Reputedly haunted and mentioned in the Domesday Book.
LYDFORD CASTLE AND SAXON TOWN
9 miles from Northlew Parish
Beautifully sited on the fringe of Dartmoor, Lydford boasts three defensive features. Near the centre is a 13th-century tower on a mound, built as a prison.
LAUNCESTON CASTLE
14 miles from Northlew Parish
Launceston Castle dominates the surrounding landscape. Begun soon after the Norman Conquest, unusual in that during rebuilding one tower was constructed with the remains of the older.
MERRIVALE PREHISTORIC SETTLEMENT
16 miles from Northlew Parish
The group of monuments at Merrivale is one of the finest on Dartmoor: side by side here are the remains of a Bronze Age settlement and a complex of ritual sites.
GRIMSPOUND
17 miles from Northlew Parish
The best known of many Dartmoor prehistoric settlements, Grimspound dates from the late Bronze Age. The remains of 24 stone houses survive within a massive boundary wall.
PENHALLAM MANOR
17 miles from Northlew Parish
The low and grass-covered but complete ground-plan of a moated 13th-century manor house, in a delightful woodland setting.
Churches in Northlew Parish
St Thomas of Canterbury
The Table of Continuity in the Church of St Thomas of Canterbury begins with the appointment of one Henry in 1258, but there was a church at Northlew ('Lew' being Celtic for 'bright but running stream') in Saxon times. The last stone relics of this Church are incorporated in the Village Cross nearby. The date of the actual building of St Thomas is unknown, but note the unmistakably Norman arch in what is now the gateway to the Rood Screen staircase.
Embellishments from the 12th to the 15th Centuries were due largely to the prosperity of the wool trade. The carved bench-ends and barrel roof date from the reign of Henry VIII. There was considerable vandalism by Cromwell's men, including smashing the screen and throwing out the Font (which was not rediscovered until 1870).
There followed an age of 'miserable neglect' common to many rural churches, which ended with the appointment in 1847 of Thomas England as Rector. By 1885 much had been accomplished. Work was continued under subsequent Rectors, the dilapidated gallery being replaced by choir stalls, the bells modernised, and the new screen installed in 1923. The fine little Willis organ has provided music since 1889.
Pubs in Northlew Parish
Green Dragon
Northlew, Northlew, EX20 3NN
(01409) 221228
greendragonnorthlew.co.uk