Lustleigh

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Map sources for Lustleigh at grid reference SX784812
Map sources for Lustleigh at grid reference SX784812

Lustleigh is a small village nestled in the Wrey Valley, between Bovey Tracey and Moretonhampstead, Devon, England. It is inside the Dartmoor National Park.

The village is focused around the church of St John the Baptist. Surrounding this are old buildings, many of which are thatched. There is a village shop, a post office/gift shop, tea rooms and a pub.

Contents

[edit] The Village now

  • The Village Hall - opened in February 2005 (much enlarging and improving the previous facility)
  • The Dairy - The village shop, with everyday grocery items and locally produced specialities
  • The Post Office - Also run as a gift shop and newsagent.
  • The Primrose Cottage - Thatched tea rooms, serving cream teas or light lunches
  • The Cleave Public House - The local pub (an old coaching inn)

[edit] Places of Worship

Lustleigh is unusual for its size in having three places of worship:

  • The Church of St. John the Baptist - C of E Parish Church in the centre of the village
  • The East Dartmoor Methodist Church on Rudge Hill
  • The Gospel Hall on the Wreyland Path

[edit] Things to see

  • Celtic Cross - A granite monument in front of the church, next to the Primose Cottage tea rooms, and up the hill from the Gospel Hall on Wreyland path.
  • Wreyland - There are many impressive thatched houses here, including Wrayland Manor, Souther Wreyland, Yonder Wreyland and the Tallet House
  • The Orchard - Common land gifted to the village some years ago, with a children's playground. A large granite boulder, topped by a granite throne, is used for the annual coronation of the May Queen.
  • Lustleigh bells - The church has six bells and an enthusiastic ringing team.
  • Kelly Mine - Old mine workings, occasionally opened to the public. Opened for tours at other times by appointment.
  • The Cleave - Lustleigh Cleave, meaning “cliff” or “cleft”, is the large geological feature from which the village pub derives its name. Paths criss-crossing the Cleave and surrounding fields, meadows and woods and walkers may enjoy the splendid views to the moor from the ridge or the lazy bubble of the River Bovey as it flows along the wooded valley bottom. Wildlife to be seen includes deer, rare butterflies and the pretty river bird, the dipper. In early June the slopes are covered in masses of bluebells and foxgloves.
  • Pullabrook Woods - These woods, run in sections by the Woodland Trust, English Nature and Dartmoor National park, nestle at the foot of the moors, and are a popular destination for walkers and riders. They are easily accessible from the village, either along Knowle road, to where the twin bridges over the Wrey run, or from Rudge down either the Heaven's Gate or Hisley paths. (Source: Woodland Trust Index of Woods)

[edit] Village Events

[edit] May Day Celebrations

The biggest event of the year for the village, with a carnival procession, maypole dancing, and crowning of the May Queen. The May Day traditions had lapsed until 1905, when Cecil Torr revived them. They have been held on the first Saturday in May ever since. Initially the 'crowning' took place on a hillside above Wreyland. The granite boulder where the ceremony took place, the boulder has inscribed upon it the names of all the May Queens up to 1954.

Later, the celebrations were moved to the Town Orchard where the Queen's throne was erected on a rock. Like its predecessor this rock has the names of all the May Queens inscribed on it from 1954 to the present, the rock is known as the May Day Rock. In the May of 2000 a new throne was unveiled at the May Day celebrations. The throne was cut from granite from the nearby Blackingstone Quarry, it was designed by Doug Cooper and carved by Warren Pappas, on it is inscribed 'MM'.

[edit] Lustleigh Village Show and Dance

Held on the August Bank holiday Monday, this local show has classes for items ranging from fruit & veg to photography, as well as a horse show. There are also stalls and activities. The show is usually held in the fields at Kelly Farm, although during the Foot and Mouth year it was held on the field adjacent to the cricket field.

It is always preceded on the Saturday by the "can't miss" show dance, where the locals gather in the show tent for music, dinner and dancing. For the dance most of the village dresses in costume for a night's entertainment in a themed tent. The music is often provided by a local band, such as regular performers, 'Scratch'.

[edit] The Railway and Lustleigh

Lustleigh Station (and the smaller Hawkmoor Halt, serving the asylum) were both stops on the Moretonhampstead - Newton Abbot branch line, Built in 1866 and closed in 1964 (several years prior to the Beeching axe). Several miles of the line between Bovey Tracey and Lustleigh are now a path open to the public, and there are plans by the council to turn some of it into to a cycle track. The old Lustleigh station house is clearly visible from the old railway bridge at Brookfield, as are a number of the bridges, some of the best being the Brookfield, Caseley and Knowle bridges

[edit] Historic church bells

In 1553 the Inventory of Church goods lists Lustleigh as having four bells, which was normal at the time with most churches having either three or four.

In 1864 October 1864 the Reverend H T Ellacombe recorded that Lustleigh had four bells, cast by Thomas Castleman Bilbie of Cullompton in 1799. Bilbie was a prolific founder and bellhanger of his time and many examples of his work still exist in the county. These Bilbie bells would almost certainly have been recast from the metal of the previous bells, probably near the church as transporting bells once cast was difficult.

Two of the inscriptions on the bells included the names of the churchwardens of the time Mr Elias Cuming & Mr John Amery although Ellacombe's notes spell Cuming differently on both bells, this may be an error on his part or more often not on the part of the foundry.

In 1875 William Aggett of Chagford a local bellhanger hung a fifth bell, a new treble, in the tower, the bell being cast by Taylors bellfoundry of Loughborough who are still in business.

In 1923 Gillet and Johnston of Croydon recast all the bells and augmented them to six with a Tenor bell weighing 12 Cwt. These are the bells that hang in the church today and ring out on Sunday morning and other times. The inscription of the old bells was reproduced on the new bells although Messer’s Gillet and Johnston reproduced the name “Bilbie” as “Billie” on every bell, surprising carelessness on their part.

The bells remain in good order although after 83 years the time has now come when money has to be found to keep them in first class order.

[edit] External links

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