St Mary the Virgin's church, Oare, Porlock, Somerset.
Outer chancel and tower rebuilt in C19th. The church has a three bay nave. Situated on north edge of Exmoor close to border with Devon. A wild & remote spot, the present network of small roads being relatively recent. A parish church here since at least AD1100. Mainly famous because of Blackmore’s Lorna Doone written in 1869 but set in time of the Monmouth Rebellion (early C17th) when various marauders settled on Exmoor inc. the Doune brothers who had been forced to leave Scotland. Blackmore visualized Carver Doone shooting Lorna through one of the single light windows on S side of the old (inner) chancel. Born in Oxfordshire, Blackmore was from a Parracombe family and he later returned to the area with his wife to research the novel, writing it in 1867/8. The real-life Doune brothers – a band of brigands who terrorised travellers on this remote part of Exmoor – arrived here in the seventeenth century after being driven out of Scotland by Ensor Doune's brother, the 'Bonny' Earl of Moray. Blackmore's grandfather was Rector of Oare church, which in the novel is used as the setting for the marriage between Loran Doone and John Ridd, the hero of the story.
Size: 4984px × 3752px
Location: St Mary the Virgin's church, Oare, Porlock, Exmoor, Somerset, England, UK
Photo credit: © Jean Williamson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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