Church of St Peter Ad Vincula

The Church of St Peter ad Vincula stands in the Devon village of Combe Martin, its stone walls rising above the narrow lanes. Probably built on a Saxon site, the present church began in the 13th century with later additions in the 15th and 16th centuries. Pevsner called it one of the best in the neighbourhood, and it is one of only fifteen English churches dedicated to St Peter in Chains. The Grade I listed building shows Early English style in the south transept and chancel, while the tower and north aisle belong to the 15th century. A 1725 south porch and 19th-century restorations keep the structure standing. Inside, a 15th-century rood screen of nine and a half bays carries painted figures of apostles and Christ, the only preserved examples in North Devon. The screen was restored in 1912 and again in 2009 with a grant from the Lottery Heritage Fund. The 1427 font has Perpendicular tracery and traces of original paint, and the 1905 organ commemorates the rector Humphry William Toms. Medieval wall paintings and two Green Men carvings add to the interior’s interest, while the wagon roofs were ceiled in 1725. Outside, the churchyard holds the war memorial cross designed by W C Willis and unveiled in 1921. Near the lychgate lies James Norman, the sexton who inspired a character in Marie Corelli’s novel. The tower’s crocketed pinnacles rise ninety-nine feet, and gargoyles and niches mark its stages. The church’s slate roofs and embattled parapets frame views over the village and the surrounding hills.