St John the Baptist

Designed by the internationally recognised, Plymouth born, Victorian architect, George Halford Fellowes-Prynne, and described by Nicholas Pevsner and Bridget Cherry as ‘probably the finest example of his smaller scale churches’ and “a particularly important building, of more than special interest”, St John’s was consecrated in 1893.

Until 1867 Horrabridge was just a part of the Parish of Buckland Monachorum, so had no parish church of its own. The current church is an example of what faith, determination, love and community spirit can achieve. Revd EJ Windsor worked to achieve support from the Church of England and villagers. Sir Massey Lopes funded two thirds of the cost, as a memorial to his daughter Louisa Lopes who had died young, in addition to providing stone for it, on the conditions that the site was obtained and the villagers raised the other third of the cost, which they did.

The site has a long association with Christian worship. In 1256 a Chapel of St John the Baptist was built there by or on behalf of the monks of Buckland Abbey and licenced as a daughter church to Buckland Monachorum in 1438. However, with Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries the chapel was pulled down. A medieval corbel from that chapel is now erected in the grounds of the church.

The interior of the church has pews, choir stalls, vestry screens, a rood beam with cross and pulpit designed by Fellowes-Prynne. There are beautiful Victorian stained glass windows in memory of the first vicar Revd E J Windsor, the first organist, John Chichester and the long serving Revd Benjamin Jones.

More details can be found in guides available in the church.