Church of St James, Iddesleigh

St James' Church, Iddesleigh, is a church in the small village of Iddesleigh, Devon, England. It dates back to the 13th century, although most of the structure dates from the 15th century, and there have been various changes since then.LocationIddesleigh, known as leddeslegh before the Norman conquest of England (1066), is a village and parish in Devonshire. Samuel Lewis described the parish in 1848 as follows,Iddesleigh today is a small village with a few thatched cottages and houses. From the church there are excellent views over Dartmoor, including Cawsand Beacon, Yes Tor and High Willhays.HistoryAt one time the manor belonged to the De Sullys, one of whom was a famous crusader. Later it passed to Sir John Leger, and later to Sir Stafford Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh (1818–87). The parish church has its origins in the 13th century, but mostly dates to the 15th century. The parish registers start in 1541. 92 adult males in leddeslegh parish signed the Protestation Returns of 1641–1642, in which they swore an oath of allegiance to the Protestant religion. This indicates the population at that time.The church was partially rebuilt in 1720. It was repaired and partially rebuilt in 1848. The vestry is an 1850 addition to the west end of the north aise. Memorial windows were added in 1866 to Hugh Malet, of Ash, and to Maria Louisa Prior: The church was thoroughly restored in 1879. Another memorial window was added by subscription to the 1st Earl of Iddesleigh, who died in 1887. A new organ was installed in 1897. The reredos and south chancel window were presented in 1912.

Tags: Landmark & Historical Place,Religious Center