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Church Micro 12501...Sandford - St Swithun's Multi-cache

Hidden : 3/5/2019
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:


The cache is not at the recorded co-ordinates, instead they will take you to the grave of members of the Tremlett family.

Elizabeth, wife of John, died 12th February 18A0.
Elias Tremlett died 18th January 18C1 aged B7 years.
Grace, wife of Elias died 20th June 18DE.

The cache is a short walk away at N50 48.ABC W003 39.DEA

The church of St Swithun's stands on a rise of ground a stone's throw from the village square and attractive pub in this quiet village north of Crediton. The hillside location seems at odds with the original meaning of the village name, which translates from the Saxon words for a sandy ford. The ford is at the bottom of the hill, but the village is very much near the top!

There was a church here in the Saxon period, and traces of that structure can be found in the lowest stage of the tower and the base of the current walls. Apart from that the church dates mainly to the 13th and 14th centuries. The building is fairly small, built in the Gothic style, with of a chancel, nave, two aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower. Sandford was associated with the Saxon monastery at Crediton that grew up following the death of St Boniface, a native of the town.

After 1050 St Swithun's was a chapel of ease under the control of Holy Cross church in Crediton, and it was not until 1928 that it became independent. There was an amusing incident in 1437, when the Swithun's was again closed, this time because so many local people were making the trip to Holy Cross rather than worshipping in their own church. The church license was withdrawn, though it was allowed to hold 'celebration of Devine worship ... on particular occasions.' It was not until 1523 that the church reopened for regular worship.

One of the most interesting interior features is a finely carved west gallery, dated to 1657 and used to seat children from the local poorhouse. The gallery stands on Corinthian columns, and is beautifully carved and painted.In the south aisle is a painted board commemorating a gift of money to 'six poore husbandmen of this p'ish' by John Davie in 1675. In the chancel is a 17th century wall memorial of marble to the Davie family of Creedy Park. In the north aisle is another Davie memorial, in the form of a marble plaque to Julia Davie (d. 1627).

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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro.co.uk

See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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Additional Hints (Decrypt)

YUF bs Tngrjnl

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)