Church of St John the Baptist, Lustleigh
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| Church of St John the Baptist | |
|---|---|
 Church tower of St John the Baptist, Lustleigh | |
 Church of St John the Baptist | |
| 50°37′06″N 3°43′08″W / 50.61846°N 3.71885°W | |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed building |
| Specifications | |
| Bells | Six |
| Tenor bell weight | 12 long tons 0 cwt 0 qr (26,880 lb or 12.19 t)[1] |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Exeter |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of Totnes |
| Benefice | Moretonhampstead |
| Parish | Lustleigh |
The Church of St John the Baptist is the Church of England parish church of the village of Lustleigh, Devon, located in the centre of the village.
The oval shape of the churchyard suggests that a Romano-British burial ground may have first occupied this site. This conjecture is supported by the presence of Datuidoc's Stone in the north aisle, dating from around 450–600 AD.[2]
The font in the church is Norman in date, and predates the existing building.[3]
The first part of the current church, including the chancel and the south porch, was built around 1250.[4] The south chapel was added in the early 14th century by the Lord of the Manor, Sir William Prouz, whose effigy also lies in the church. The church tower was built in the late 14th century. The North aisle was likely built by a member of the Dinham family in the mid fourteenth century, and contains square perpendicular windows, along with effigies of a knight and lady,[3] thought to predate the surrounding, and dated by Pevsner to c.1300.[5] The effigies are made of limestone and have a large amount of carved graffiti.[6]
The last major addition to the church was the vestry, built in Victorian times.
The church graveyard contains the remains of former Lustleigh residents. The graveyard is now full, and with the exception of those with family plots, new burials take place at the modern cemetery on Mill Lane. A memorial lamp, donated by James Nutcombe Gould (1849–1899) and his wife Edith (1859–1900), is now a Grade II listed object.[7]
William Davy was curate of Lustleigh, during which time he self published an extensive treatise on his view of faith. Following his retirement, he took Willmead farm on the outskirts of the village (then in Bovey Tracey parish, but in Lustleigh parish since 1929). [8][9]
Datuidoc's stone
The church is home to Datuidoc's stone, which is a prehistoric engraved stone, thought to date to between 450 and 600AD. It is engraved with the names Datuidoc and Conhinoc, with possible explanations being "Datuidoc, son of Conhinoc", later suggested to mean "David the son of Gawain".[10] It measures 4 feet (1.2 m) long and 14 inches (36 cm) wide.[2]
It is unclear the original purpose of the stone, or even the original location. It has been suggested that it may be a boundary marker,[11] but most references indicate that it is likely a grave marker.
The stone was used over a long period of time as the door sill of the main, South entrance to the church,[5] and was much degraded by the continued footsteps, including the deterioration of the carving.[2]
