Shirwell brings together different stories of historic buildings and their uses. The Grade I listed Church of St Peter, a medieval manor house with a roof structure dating to around 1400, and a railway carriage later used as a skittle alley represent different ways of exploring the village’s history. The church, house and repurposed carriage each raise different questions: about listed architecture, building elements from different periods, or how a building’s use can change. You can choose the focus of your trip based on the subject that interests you most.
The church and the weekly routine
The Church of St Peter in Shirwell is a Grade I listed parish church. Weekly services take place at 9:30 am; the bells ring every Sunday before the morning service. The service time and the ringing before Sunday worship are separate points to consider when planning your schedule. Check service times and bell-ringing practices before your trip.
Houses and historic building elements
At Youlston Park, the medieval manor house includes a significant timber roof structure dating to around 1400. The date is approximate and refers to the roof structure; it is not an exact construction date for the entire house. This is a useful distinction when putting things in context: a building element can be dated more precisely than the house it belongs to.
Plaistow Mill House is an early 19th-century house with older building elements in two short, projecting rear wings. Compared with Youlston Park, the evidence of earlier periods here is found in the rear parts of the building, while the roof structure at Youlston Park is dated approximately. This allows two different kinds of building history to be compared without assuming that all parts share the same construction date.
A railway carriage turned into a skittle alley
The Former Shirwell Skittle Alley is a railway carriage built in 1897 that was used as a skittle alley from 1933 to 2014; the former club closed in 2014. The construction date and its use as a skittle alley mark separate periods in its history: the carriage was built first, and its later function as a skittle alley began decades afterward. Inside, an ornate coffered ceiling and wood panelling have been preserved. These details of the interior add to the story of how the building was used.
It is also unusual compared with other repurposed railway carriages: the Alley is one of four listed examples of its kind, and the only one converted for non-residential use. Its design, preserved fittings and later use each offer a different way to understand the building’s history.
An archaeological perspective
Burridge Hill Fort is an Iron Age, univallate, roughly rectangular hillfort on the crest of a ridge, with an outwork to the east. Here, the focus is not on interiors or later uses of buildings, but on the layout, defences and shape of the landscape. The roughly rectangular enclosure describes its form, the ridge its location, and the eastern outwork adds to the picture. For travellers interested in archaeological landscapes, this offers a different perspective from the building history of houses and the church.
Discover more destinations: South Pool, Crediton, Lapford, Ashreigney, Croyde, Newton Abbot, Two Bridges, Barnstaple
For the wider travel overview: Devon.
