EXMOOR CHURCHES AFTER THE REFORMATION
The Reformation and beyond
The Reformation in England came with the creation of the Church of England and the break from Rome in 1535. In 1536 all small abbeys with an annual income under £200 were closed. These included the priories at Dunster and Barlynch. Three years later the larger abbeys, including that at Cleeve, were also closed. The chantries, whereby endowments had been left for priests to pray for particular benefactors or their families, were closed in 1547. This affected the Harrington chantries at Porlock, the Trevelyan chantry at Nettlecombe and two chantries at Dunster. In 1551 all church plate was also seized by the State.
At first there were attempts to make the Church of England the only church in the country and Noncomformists, or Independents as they were then called, were supressed alongside Catholics. During the Commonwealth various Independent churches flourished, including the Baptist church at Stogumber, which is one of the earliest in England with a continuous history from those days. The Puritans did not like ornament and all churches became plainer. Wall paintings and those on screens were whitewashed over and roods and rood lofts removed. The Exmoor area was lucky to retain many of its fine screens. At the same time it became a legal necessity to keep parish resisters and these were kept in chests with multiple locks for the curate and churchwardens. The best example locally is probably at Wootton Courtenay. Seating in churches was not generally provided until the 16th century. Before then, the congregation stood in the nave and infirm people usually had to lean against the walls or pillars of the aisles. Many pews dating from the 17th century and earlierwere thown out during Victorian restoration but good early furniture survives at Brushford, Culbone, Molland, Parracombe (St Petrock’s) and West Anstey. In some churches seating was marked for the occupants of hamlets and farms within the parish. In some the Lord of the Manor or main landowner had a special pew larger and more elaborate than the others. T
The Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 resulted in control against Independent churches, although both Baptists and Quakers managed to continue worshiping in the Exmoor area. Throughout the reign of Charles II worship at Church of England churches was compulsory and mthere are musicians’ galleries at Trentishoe, Rodhuish and Parracombe (St Petrock’s many Nonconformists joined the Monmouth rebellion as a result of the repression of their religion. The accession of William and Mary in 1689 led to a greater religious tolerance and Nonconformist chapels were founded in Minehead and Dulverton. However, worship at Anglican churches remained strong and rising population led to enlargement of church buildings in the 18th century. In several churches, such as at Parracombe, Countisbury and Stogumber, galleries were built at the west ends of the naves to increase seating. There are musicians’ galleries at Trentishoe, Rodhuish and Parracombe (St Petrock’s).
Methodists and others
Methodism and its various forms grew out of the established Anglican church. John and Charles Wesley, founders of the movement, visited Exmoor on several occasions. Their elder brother, Samuel, was headmaster at Blundells School, Tiverton and the Wesleys came to visit him, and later his widow, at Tiverton and his daughter at Barnstaple, stopping at various Exmoor villages on the way. John Wesley visited North Molton, which in 1750 became the first site of regular Methodist preaching in the area. A Methodist Society was formed at Brayford in 1778 and preachers from North Molton and Brayford covered the Exmoor area. The first purpose built Methodist chapel came at Brayford in 1813. Some of the Brayford Methodists became Baptists and set up their own chapel there in 1820. Further chapels soon came at Charles and Combe Martin. The first chapel on the eastern side of the moor came at Carhampton in 1796. By the mid 19th century there were other Methodist preaching places, if not chapels, at Cutcombe, Dulverton, Dunster, Exford, Holnicote, Minehead and Withypool. A break-away group of Methodists formed under the name of Bible Christians, whose female preachers visited Exmoor villages. They eventually established chapels at Bury, Challacombe, Dulverton, Luckwell Bridge, Timberscombe, Withycombe and Brompton Regis.
The 20th century saw the various branches of Methodism re-united. In 1972 the Congregational and Presbyterian Churches joined to make the United Reformed Church, which, since 1981, has had a policy of shared worship with the Methodists. Over much of Exmoor this has resulted in the loss of Methodist and URC buildings. Other Nonconformist denoninations have, however, become popular and Evangelical churches have been set up. The first Roman Catholic church to be built in the Exmoor area since the Reformation was erected at Minehead in 1896. Since then Catholic churches have also been erected at Lynton and Dulverton.
Victorian restoration
Partly in recaction to the success of Noncomformist religions, the Church of England started to diversify with evangelical and High Church movements and this led to more buildings in some places. New churches were built at Lynmouth, Barbrook, Minehead, Parracombe, Roadwater and Simonsbath. There also grew a concern for the fabric of existing buildings, which had been greatly neglected during the 18th century. Most of Exmoor's churches were extensively restored and some extended. There was complete rebuilding at Leighland and Upton and substantial rebuilding at East and West Anstey, Carhampton, Dulverton, Skilgate, Stoke Pero, Twitchen and Withypool.
There was a substantial loss of early woodwork, including screens, pulpits, musicians' galleries and benches, as well as stained glass and fonts. Exmoor is lucky to have a few churches that retain pre-Victorian furnishings. There are significant examples at Molland and St Petrock's, Parracombe and the interiors of the parish churches at Oare, Culbone, Trentishoe and Withycombe have not been greatly altered since the 18th century.
Much of the Victorian restoration was in the Gothic style. However, the saddleback towers on Luxborough, Wootton Courtenay churches harked back to a pre-Gothic style. Those at Morebath and Stoke Pero may be original. Improved communications led to an increase in the use of imported 'freestone' such as Ham, Bath and Portland stones. These were able to be cut and carved and Victorian work tended to be more ornate than its predecessors'. Exmoor churches, however, remain relatively plain.