The following information is condensed from the
Wikipedia website:
Widecombe-in-the-Moor is a small village located
within the heart of the Dartmoor National
Park.The name is thought to derive from
'Withy-combe' which means 'Willow Valley'.
According to Widecombe's official website, there
are 196 households in the village, although its
large and sprawling parish stretches for many
miles and encompasses dozens of isolated cottages
and moorland farms. Tourism is a major source of
income for Widecombe today, as reflected by the
fact that within a small area there are several
gift shops (including a National Trust shop), two
cafes and two pubs (the 'Old Inn' and the
'Rugglestone').
The village is probably best known for Widecombe
Fair, held annually and celebrated by a
well-known folksong of the same name, featuring
'Old Uncle Tom Cobley and All'. Its words were
first published in 1880. The characters from the
song are featured in many of the souvenirs on
sale in the local shops.
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The church of St Pancras is known as the
'Cathedral of the Moors' in recognition of its
120 foot tower and relatively large capacity for
such a small village. The church was originally
built in the 14th century, in the Perpendicular
style (late Gothic), using locally quarried
granite. It was enlarged over the following two
centuries, partly on the proceeds of the local
tin mining trade.
The size of the parish meant that, for centuries,
families were obliged to walk for miles to go to
church at Widecombe every Sunday. The task was
even more challenging when it came to burying
their dead, whose coffins had to be carried over
rough ground and both up and down exceptionally
steep hills.
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Next to the church stands the Church House (to
the right of the picture) built in 1537 for the
production of church ales. It is now managed by
the National Trust. 'The Old Inn' is seen in the
background. (left)
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The 'Rugglestone Inn' is situated on the
outskirts of the town (right)
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In Widecombe churchyard is the grave of novelist
Beatrice Chase who lived for much of her life in
a cottage close to the village. Her real name was
Olive Katharine Parr, and she was a direct
descendant of William Parr, the brother of
Catherine, the sixth wife of Henry VIII.
(left)
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Inside, the ceiling is decorated with a large
number of decorative roof bosses, including the
tinner’s emblem of a circle of three hares
(known locally as the Tinners' Rabbits). The
building was badly damaged in Great Thunderstorm
of 1638, when the village was reputedly visited
by the Devil. (left)
A visit to Hope Cove commences on the following
page.
Please click on the 'Next' button (below
right)
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