Chittlehampton
Encyclopedia
Chittlehampton is a village and civil parish
in the North Devon
district of Devon
in England
. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 820.
The parish originally included two exclaves; Chittlehamholt to the south (now a parish in itself), and part of the modern parish of East and West Buckland
. It now includes Chittlehampton, Umberleigh
, Furze, Stowford and some other outlying hamlets. The village was the site of limestone quarries which supplied many of the county's lime kilns.
's Church and holy well. Until the 16th century many people made pilgrimages to Chittlehampton to visit the well. Today, campanologists travel from far and wide to play the famous bells in the tower of St Hieritha's church. The church is large and of the late Perpendicular period. St Hieritha is said to have been buried under part of the church. She was a saint of the 7th century.
Saint Urith's holy well still stands at the east end of Chittlehampton, now called by the corrupt name of Taddy Well or Saint Teara's Well. The exact burial place of Saint Urith was probably in the small chapel on the north side of the sanctuary of the parish church
, which originally contained an image of the saint. This chapel now doubles as a passage leading to a vestry. There is reason to believe that a medieval slab there may still cover Saint Urith's body. There was a regular pilgrimage to her shrine on her feast day, 8 July, until 1539. Offerings left there were sufficient to rebuild the church tower, reputedly the finest in Devon. Even in the last year of pilgrimages, the vicar received £50 from his share of the offerings. This was three times his income from tithe
s and glebe
. By 1540 the saint's statue had been removed from the church, leading to the further loss of £50 in offerings. The pulpit
of the church, carved around 1500, survives and this depicts Urith holding a martyr
's palm and the foundation stone of the church. A modern statue now stands in a niche high up on the exterior of the tower and she is also shown in a stained-glass window of the 16th century found at Nettlecombe
in Somerset
. The pilgrimage has now been revived and villagers still celebrate the legend on her feast day, with a procession to the well. The Trinity College hymn is sung by the congregation, the well is opened and water drawn from it and blessed.
Let all Devon's meadows ring with Holy Gladness for our Saint's renown,
And thou,
Blest maiden pray,
that we on this our day,
May bear our cross and win our heavenly crown".
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the North Devon
North Devon
North Devon is the northern part of the English county of Devon. It is also the name of a local government district in Devon. Its council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth...
district of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 820.
The parish originally included two exclaves; Chittlehamholt to the south (now a parish in itself), and part of the modern parish of East and West Buckland
East and West Buckland
East and West Buckland is a civil parish in the English county of Devon.Forming part of the district of North Devon its main settlements are West Buckland and East Buckland....
. It now includes Chittlehampton, Umberleigh
Umberleigh
Umberleigh is a small village in North Devon in England. It shares an ecclesiastical parish with nearby Atherington, but is part of the civil parish of Chittlehampton.-Rail transport:...
, Furze, Stowford and some other outlying hamlets. The village was the site of limestone quarries which supplied many of the county's lime kilns.
Parish Church
Chittlehampton is the home of St. HierithaUrith
Urith , was a south-western Brythonic maiden, slain, possibly in the early 8th century and subsequently revered as a saint. The name is still common in the English county of Devon.-History:Urith is a fairly obscure figure...
's Church and holy well. Until the 16th century many people made pilgrimages to Chittlehampton to visit the well. Today, campanologists travel from far and wide to play the famous bells in the tower of St Hieritha's church. The church is large and of the late Perpendicular period. St Hieritha is said to have been buried under part of the church. She was a saint of the 7th century.
Saint Urith's holy well still stands at the east end of Chittlehampton, now called by the corrupt name of Taddy Well or Saint Teara's Well. The exact burial place of Saint Urith was probably in the small chapel on the north side of the sanctuary of the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
, which originally contained an image of the saint. This chapel now doubles as a passage leading to a vestry. There is reason to believe that a medieval slab there may still cover Saint Urith's body. There was a regular pilgrimage to her shrine on her feast day, 8 July, until 1539. Offerings left there were sufficient to rebuild the church tower, reputedly the finest in Devon. Even in the last year of pilgrimages, the vicar received £50 from his share of the offerings. This was three times his income from tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
s and glebe
Glebe
Glebe Glebe Glebe (also known as Church furlong or parson's closes is an area of land within a manor and parish used to support a parish priest.-Medieval origins:...
. By 1540 the saint's statue had been removed from the church, leading to the further loss of £50 in offerings. The pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
of the church, carved around 1500, survives and this depicts Urith holding a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
's palm and the foundation stone of the church. A modern statue now stands in a niche high up on the exterior of the tower and she is also shown in a stained-glass window of the 16th century found at Nettlecombe
Nettlecombe
Nettlecombe is a farming hamlet on the Isle of Wight. It is the site of a deserted medieval village and there is evidence of earthworks close to the present hamlet.There are several fishing lakes in Nettlecombe....
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. The pilgrimage has now been revived and villagers still celebrate the legend on her feast day, with a procession to the well. The Trinity College hymn is sung by the congregation, the well is opened and water drawn from it and blessed.
The Trinity College hymn
"Sing, Chittlehampton, sing!Let all Devon's meadows ring with Holy Gladness for our Saint's renown,
And thou,
Blest maiden pray,
that we on this our day,
May bear our cross and win our heavenly crown".