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Overview

Situated in the idyllic, picturesque countryside of North Devon; Petrockstowe is home to around 400 residents, and has facilities including: The Laurels Inn; a modern village hall; a play area and extensive recreation and cricket ground. The village also boasts doorstep access to the legendary Tarka Trail; offering over 180 miles of walking and cycling opportunities.

Facilities

The village pub, The Laurels, is steeped with history, and has been used for many different businesses. Built in the 17th century, it was primarily used as a coaching house. Over the last 400 years it has been used as: a magistrate’s court, a home for fallen women of the parish, a lodging house, a coffee tavern and a private house. It re-opened as a public house in the mid-seventies.

Petrockstowe boasts two churches; a Methodist Chapel , built in the 1930’s, and a Church of England ; mentioned in the Doomsday Book. Both churches feature stunning décor; from stained glass windows to an impressive bell tower, from which the church bells can be heard ringing regularly, thanks to a dedicated campanology group.

The Baxter Hall offers great facilities for village groups and clubs; who meet there on a regular basis. The hall boasts a large hall space, kitchen, toilets and a recently added office, thanks to generous Lottery grants. The Baxter Hall is ideal for a wealth of different events and parties. In addition to the regular group meetings, a local skittle club use the facility throughout the winter as a venue for their friendly, but competitive matches!

The recreation ground is situated just outside the village, and features a barn, ideal for parties and gatherings; and a newly completed clubhouse, thanks to the hard work of villagers. The clubhouse includes features such as a kitchen, toilets and changing rooms; ideal for the cricket matches played on the cricket pitch in the summer.

Rolle and Yeo brasses

On the north wall of the church are affixed two monumental brasses of Henry Rolle (left, westernmost) and his wife Margaret Yeo (d.1591), the heiress of the manor of Heanton Satchville within the parish of Petrockstowe (right, easternmost). These are not in their original positions, which would have been on a now lost monument or slab in the chancel, no doubt joined together with husband and wife facing each other over the prie-dieu, half of which is depicted in each brass. The two halves of the shields when joined would show the arms of Rolle impaling Yeo.

Brass of Henry Rolle

Inscribed in Roman capitals below is the following text: "Here lyeth the body of Henry Rolle Esquieer fourth sonne of George Rolle of Stevenston who maryed Margaret Yeo daughter and sole heire unto Robert Yeo Esquir decesed and had issue by hir sonnes & doughters nyneteene". On a speech scroll issuing from Henry Rolle's mouth the words MORS MIHI LUCRUM, from St Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, 1:21 (Mihi enim vivere Christus est et mori lucrum, transated in the King James Bible as: "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain"). The Rolle armorials, with difference of a mullet, here intended to denote a fourth son (omitted from drawing), are shown each side of him: ''Or, on a fesse indented azure between three billets of the second each charged with a lion rampant of the first three bezants. Above is shown the crest of Rolle, a cubit arm with clenched fist (omitted from the drawing).

Brass of Margaret Yeo

Affixed in modern times immediately to the right of the brass of Henry Rolle is that of his wife Margaret Yeo, heiress of Petrockstowe manor. Inscribed below is the following Gothic text: "Here lyeth the bodye of Margaret the wife of Henry Rolle Esquier, daughter and hayre of Robert Yeo Esquire who deceased the Vth day of January and in ye yeare of Our Lorde God 1591". From her mouth issues a speech scroll inscribed: "My children feare the lorde", referring to Psalms 34:11: "Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord" A human skull is shown directly in front of her face, symbolising death, and perhaps her contemplation of that event. Shown either side of Margaret is a shield bearing the arms of Yeo: Argent, a chevron sable between three drakes azure, which arms can be seen in stained glass reset in incomplete form in the vestry window. Above is shown the crest of Yeo, apparently a lapwing bird, with crest feathers and long peacock-like tail reaching the ground (omitted from the drawing).

Heanton Satchville

The mansion of Heanton Satchville has today been obliterated almost without a trace, but was at one time "one of the most imposing houses ever to exist in Devon" The Hearth Tax return of 1674 recorded 26 hearths for the house, making it the second largest house in Devon after Werrington Park (now in Cornwall) north of Launceston. The manor had been held by the Yeo family from at least 1359 when William Yeo was recorded as Sheriff of Devon. In 1570 Margaret Yeo, the sole heiress of Robert Yeo married Henry Rolle (d.1625), the 4th son of George Rolle (d.1552) of Stevenstone manor in the parish of St Giles in the Wood, MP for Barnstaple. Thus the manor passed to the Rolles, which family became the largest landholder in Devon, and is now represented by the family of Fane-Trefusis, Barons Clinton. In 1795 the house was destroyed by fire, after which the Trefusis family purchased Innes House in nearby Huish and made it their seat, having renamed it Heanton Satchville.

Notable People

John Bassett Martin, (1847-1944] Pre-eminent Victorian Journalist and Freemason. Born in Petrockstowe on 2 October 1847.

References

1. The tincture of the mullet is unknown but may not be argent in contravention of the heraldic rule of "no metal on metal"
2. Quote from King James Bible
3. www.yeosociety.com
4. Lauder, Rosemary, Vanished Houses of North Devon, 2005, p.49
5. Lauder, Rosemary appears to be in error re the occupants & builders of Werrington, which she states erroneously to have been the 2nd Duke of Albemarle
6. anon (1915). Representative British Freemasons. London: Dod's Peerage Limited. pp. 238–240.

External links

Media related to Petrockstowe at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Towns, villages and hamlets in the Torridge District of Devon, England

Abbots Bickington Abbotsham Alfardisworthy Alverdiscott Alwington Appledore Ashreigney Ashwater Beaford Bideford Black Torrington Bradford Bradworthy Bridgerule Broadwoodwidger Buckland Brewer Buckland Filleigh Bucks Mills Bulkworthy Clawton Clovelly Cookbury Dolton Dowland East Putford Frithelstock Great Torrington Halwill Hartland High Bickington Hollacombe Holsworthy Huish Huntshaw Landcross Langtree Littleham Little Torrington Luffincott Merton Milton Damerel Monkleigh Newton St Petrock Northam Northcott Milton Damerel Pancrasweek Parkham Peters Marland Petrockstowe Pyworthy Quoditch Roborough Shebbear Sheepwash St Giles in the Wood St Giles on the Heath Stibb Cross Sutcombe Tetcott Thornbury Virginstow Weare Giffard Welcombe West Putford Westward Ho! Winkleigh Woolfardisworthy Yarnscombe

• Villages in Devon