The Churches Conservation Trust and St Mary's, North Huish
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Please click on image above to be redirected to the Churches Conservation Trust website The parish of North Huish covers a scattered community bordered on the East side by the River Avon and includes the two villages of North Huish and Avonwick. Avonwick is the younger of the two villages only having been developed in the 19th century and recently much enlarged. As a part of the development a Church was built dedicated to St. James and is still in use but is run by its trustees entirely separately to the Three Rivers Mission Community. North Huish is the smaller of the two villages but is a much older settlement. The parish of North Huish is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The first known records referring to the Church are from the 14th century of a visit by John de Grandisson, Bishop of Exeter on 15th June 1336 as part of a tour of the diocese. During the visit he dedicated the Church. There is no record to whom the dedication was made but the tradition is that it was to St. Mary. The main body of the Church was built in the 14th century and enlarged in the 15th century with the addition of the South Aisle and the porch. The tower and the spire are medieval but it is not certain when they were added. The vestry is a 19th.century addition. Local stone was used for most of the building with granite used for dressed features such as the south doorway and the pillars and arches of the south arcade. The font has ‘1662 RO’ carved into the front. It is possible it is a ‘Restoration Font’. King Charles II decreed that all churches should have a font. The fonts in some churches had been destroyed in the Civil War. In the east wall of the churchyard is the late 17th or early 18th century Lychgate. On the north wall of the church facing the main door is the parish War Memorial to those who lost their lives in the 1914-1918 War. A Service of Remembrance is usually held there on 11th November each year (except when the 11th November falls on a Sunday), where all those who have lost their lives in conflict from all the parishes of the Three Rivers Mission Community are remembered. This service is one of the occasional services held in the church since the Church was declared redundant in the 1990’s and vested in the Churches Conservation Trust in 1998 which is responsible for and maintains the church building. A Carols by Candlelight service is held in the Church on a Sunday during Advent and on Rogation Sunday a Songs of Praise Service reflects the agricultural nature of the area. The Church is open throughout the year for anyone to visit. It is a peaceful place for prayer and reflection. The Churchyard is still open and is in the care of the Diptford Parochial Church Council. The ecclesiastical parish is now called Diptford with North Huish. Postcode TQ10 9NQ OS Grid Reference SX711305658 Churchwardens: Val Haddy Email: office@3rivers.org.uk Parish Safeguarding Representative: Val Haddy Tel:01548 821418 All our churches can be found on the Church of England website: https://www.achurchnearyou.com/
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