MEAVY – St Peter
Norman in origin, the nave, aisle, south transept and west tower were added in the 15th century with Victorian restorations by Hine & Odgers and later by J D Sedding. There are some fine oak carvings of local wildlife by William Micklewright of Traske & Co, Somerset. The altar woodwork was carved by Harry Hems of Exeter. The Reredos, designed by J D Sedding, is the work of George Searle of London. The pulpit was made locally by Philip Blowey of Buckland Monachorum. The screen is long gone but the medieval doorway remains. Fine stained glass by Westlake, Burlison & Grylls, Bacon, Beer, and school of William Morris add colour to the church. There is a good example of a two manual Hele organ dated 1886. The wagon roof has numerous carved bosses including the famous mouse running through an empty headed person. There is a peal of 6 bells, one dated 1779 by Pennington and the other recast in 1876. by Mears and Stainbrook. The Victorian clock, by Thwaites & Reed, strikes the hour on the tenor bell.
Monks from Plympton, Buckland and Buckfast celebrated mass here before the Reformation. The local Drake family, descendants of the famous Sir Francis, worshipped here in the Lady Chapel. The nearby Church House Inn became The Royal Oak named after the famous thousand year old tree growing opposite the lychgate.
