7 December 2006
Tombstone returns to Dartmoor Church
On 12 December 2006 Dartmoor National Park Authority Archaeologists and Conservation Works Team will return a tomb coverstone to St Michael’s Church, Ilsington.
The coverstone has been in the possession of Torquay Museum for the last 80 years. It was removed from its position in the central aisle of the church during work to the floor in 1883. The stone was rediscovered in 1926 being used as a bridge over the Cadewell Stream, Torquay, and given to Torquay Museum.
The stone is inscribed with a simple cross and possibly the letters WB. As yet there is no clear indication of who this stone commemorates, but given its former position in the nave it could well be a former incumbent of St Michael’s. There have been a number of vicars with the initials WB and they date from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. It is planned to carry out further research in order to try to establish whose initials are inscribed on the stone.
The granite coverstone, which weighs just under one ton, is to be placed upright in the north transept of the church, standing on a granite pedestal which has been made by Dartmoor National Park Authority’s Conservation Works Team.
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Filming and photo opportunity
The tomb coverstone will be placed in the north transept of St Michael’s Church Ilsington at 10 am on Tuesday 12 December, by Dartmoor National Park Authority’s Conservation Works Team.
Please contact Jane Marchand or Mike Nendick on (01626) 832093 for further details
For further information from Dartmoor National Park Authority
Mike Nendick, Communications Officer
Tel: (01626) 832093
Agendas for full Dartmoor National Park Authority meetings and Dartmoor National Park Authority planning meetings are available on the Authority's website The Agendas are placed on the Authority's web site 7 days in advance of the meetings.
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For further information from Torquay Museum
Barry Chandler, Curator of Collections
Tel: (01803) 293975
For further information from St Michael’s Church Ilsington
Tel: (01626) 821 862
Notes for Editors
Torquay Museum is Devon's oldest established museum still operating, founded in 1845 and owned and run by Torquay Museum Society.
The museum holds collections of natural history, palaeontology, archaeology, social history, ethnography, Torquay pottery, pictorial records, and archives, relating to the Torbay area, as well as from across the world. The collections are exceptional for a museum of its size. Over 300,000 specimens are held in the stores with about one percent on display. The museum has regular temporary exhibitions, and programmes of events for all ages.
The Society is a Registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee (Registered Charity Number 1025390). For more information visit www.torquaymuseum.org
St Michael’s Church Ilsington is first mentioned in a document dated about 1187. No trace remains of the original church on the site but the earliest parts of the current church date from the late 13th and early 14th century. The ruined wall in St.Michael’s graveyard was once the rear or side wall of a two-storied rectangular 16th or 17th century building and probably formed part of the west range or wing of the former Manor House, which is known to have stood close to the church. These remains are currently being conserved by Dartmoor National Park Authority’s Conservation Works Team.
National Parks cover 10% of the land area of England, Wales and Scotland. They are of special value to the whole nation because of their great beauty, their wildlife and cultural interests and the opportunities they offer for quiet enjoyment. However, they are not nationally owned - the land is in the hands of many landowners or occupiers including farmers. Over 33,400 people live inside the Dartmoor National Park and many millions of visits are made to it each year.
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This page last updated 7 December 2006
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Page updated 7 December 2006
