Church Heritage Record 615133

4-bay nave with west porch and lean-to north aisle. 1-bay chancel and north vestry. Vestry to north-east. Former boiler shed to north-west corner.

[Approximate] Nave 14m (46ft) x 7m (23ft), aisle 2.5m (8ft) wide, chancel 3m (10ft) long.

Dunkeswell features as Doduceswilla in the Domesday book. A Cistercian monastery was founded here in 1201 by William Brewer, Sherriff of Devon, as an off-shoot of Forde Abbey. The abbey was closed in 1539 and mostly demolished, though a section remained in domestic use until the 19th century. In 1842 a church was built over part of the site using some of the fabric of the older structure. The abbey would have extended to the south side of the existing church. Today, the only obvious remains of the abbey are the former gatehouse and abbot’s house which are in quite fragile condition, though archaeological remains are more extensive. The site is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM). Another SAM is located to the west around the former fish ponds, now dry earth works.

Holy Trinity was built on the site of Dunkeswell Abbey and was consecrated in 1842. It was designed by the architect Benjamin Ferrey [1810-80], one of the foremost Victorian architects, a pupil, friend and biographer of A W N Pugin. Holy Trinity was commissioned by Mrs Simcoe, whose husband the chapel was built in memory of, with her decorative design input. John Simcoe believed he was descended from the abbey’s founder William Brewer, whose coffin is reputed to be that in the north-west corner of the church. The interior was completed 7 years later. His wife, Elizabeth Simcoe (1762-1850) built up an ‘atelier’ from their base at Wolford near Honiton, which involved their many daughters. They produced stained glass, altars, reredos, fonts, pulpits, reading desks, capitals, corbels and furniture reconstituted from antique carvings. Their pieces survive in at least 4 churches in the Dunkeswell area as well as one in Canada. Elizabeth was noted as an ‘admired founder of modern Ontario’ and she and her husband shared an interest in medieval Gothic. A former school building stands to the west.

The Blackdown Hills which rise next to Dunkeswell form a flat high area which were used in WWII by the US and Canadian navy as airfield bases. Devon County Council has also funded archaeological work on the hills which has provided evidence for Romano-British and Saxon iron-working. Further records are available via the Devon and Dartmoor HER.

The archaeological potential of the site is exceptional and within the boundaries of a Scheduled Ancient Monument. There are no known designations relating to the ecology of the plot, though it is located within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has yew trees to the west.

Holy Trinity is a picturesque building built in the Early English style, situated within an idyllic rural setting. Discovering the building is a bit of an adventure, following a tree-lined path between ancient abbey ruins, or by foot across fields from the east.

The church has a steeply pitched gabled roof. A single span covers the nave, aisle and chancel. Pronounced stone copings articulate the gables at either end, with a stone cross finial at the apex of the east end. Marking the west gable is a polygonal ashlar bellcote, open at the base where the bell is hung, with short stone pyramidal steeple topped by a stone cross finial. The structure is supported by stone corbels, and appears to perch slightly precariously. The west end has a projecting flat-roofed porch at ground level, the full width of the elevation. Double lancets sit either side of the pointed door within moulded surrounds. A round window pierces the gable above. Buttresses at a lower level. A former boiler shed abuts the north-west corner.

North and south elevations have buttresses marking each bay between each pointed lancet. A stone hoodmould continues between and over the windows. Cast-iron gutters and downpipes around the structure.  Continuous stone corbel course below the eaves. 3 lancets in east elevation – central one taller. A flat-roofed vestry is situated to the north-east.

Entry is via the west door which opens into a porch area where the vents to the old heating system can be seen. Doors lead through to the nave, a fairly plain but light space. No changes in level. Archive photos show an inscription was once painted over the west doorway.

A high-pitched arch-braced roof provides plenty of height (trusses rest on stone corbels with carved and painted armorial crests), and the use of predominantly clear glazing (coloured borders) provides plenty of natural light. The walls are plastered and painted white. Spotlights at sill level provide additional illumination. The floor is paved with woodblocks at the west end, where the font is positioned, with the aisles paved with red square quarry tiles. Carpet has been laid up the central aisle. High, open-backed plain benches are fixed to raised wood platforms either side.

The lean-to north aisle is distinguished by a north arcade carried on octagonal columns with carved foliate capitals. An ancient coffin c.1226 is located in the north-west corner. A door at the east end leads into the vestry, with a small single light above. The organ is at the east end but can be passed behind. Display cabinets stand within the north aisle and there are also information boards in the south-west corner. The contents are faded and difficult to read, exposing potential for improved interpretation.

A very high pointed chancel arch (with painted boards either side) leads into the short chancel. 2 stone steps rise to the chancel and 1 rises to the stone altar around which the tiled floor incorporates fragments of medieval encaustic tiles. Beyond it a trefoil-headed blind stone reredos carved into the wall.