Detail Looking from the Graveyard up at the Freshly Renovated Spire of the Historic Saint Michael and All Angels Church, Great Torrington
Image showing the freshly renovated spire on the historic Saint Michael and All Angels Church, Great Torrington, Devon, The earliest record of a parish church on this site are from 1259. However there was probably a church here before that. HenryVII granted the church and rectory to Cardinal Wolsey in 1510 by advowson (the right of presenting a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benifice). Wolsey appropriated these rights to his foundation of Christ Church, Oxford. So, since 1549 vicars (previously known as perpetual curates) have been appointed by the Dean and Chapter of that College. Much of the original building was destroyed in 1646 during the Battle of Torrington during the English Civil War. In the churchyard is a large, cobbled mound known locally as the ‘Giants Grave’ is the mass grave of Parliamentarian prisoners and Royalist soldiers who were in and around Saint Michael’s Church. They were killed on February 16th 1646 when there was an explosion inside the church, caused by a spark igniting the gunpowder magazine stored here. It is thought that 63 soldiers were buried in this mound but accounts differ and there may be 67 or 68 bodies according to the source. Some parts of the building survived including the Vestry and the church was rebuilt and completed in 1651. It has been refurbished regularly over the years including building a new tower and spire which were completed in 1828 This is a Grade 2 Listed Building. William Keeble Martin, author of ‘Concise British Flora in Colour’ served as vicar here from 1934 to 1943.
Size: 6000px × 4000px
Location: Saint Michael and All Angels Church, Great Torrington, Devon, England.
Photo credit: © John Insull / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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