If you love Churches, especially small ones, and you are visiting Dartmoor, I can recommend you go and see St Raphael's Church.
If you drive past Badgers Holt on your right, past the Pixie shop on your right, then turn first left, this delightful Church is on your left a little way down.
The small grounds were awash with flowers amongst the grass when we visited yesterday, and apparently early in the year the grounds are covered in snowdrops. We read in the Church, that it was built on the site of some very old thatched cottages.
The Church was built in 1868, and in Victorian times doubled as a Church and school. It is small inside, but beautiful, with whitewashed walls, and an air of peace about it. The original pews still hold the inkwells used by children when it served as a school. There is even a lovely stone fireplace in there, obviously used to heat the building! A thing I have never seen before in a Church.
Outside opposite the main door is a seat, where you can sit and contemplate the loveliness of this Church, which is lying among some spectacular Dartmoor scenery. And there is very little walking involved, nor any steps, which is a bonus for the disabled!
If you visit, enjoy, as we did .......
EDITOR: You can read more about this lovely church here.
