Latest news with #Yelverton
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
School in Walkhampton to close after 306 years due to low numbers
A 306-year-old Devon school is closing next week for good after a fall in the number of pupils. Lady Moddiford's school at Walkhampton, near Yelverton, originally opened in 1719 for 20 poor boys living in Walkhampton parish. It currently has five Reid, deputy head, said the school celebrated on Friday with an ice cream van, tea, coffee, a chance to look at memorabilia, and singing the school song. Its last day will be on Wednesday."It's reflecting on the fact that it's 306 years. It's not just my time here and the pupils who are currently here. It's the history of the place and the impact its had over three centuries," Ms Reid said, adding it was "sad to see that go". She explained some of the pupils were making the "natural progression" to secondary school and one pupil was "still going to be a Lady Moddiford pupil in name but he'll educated at another school locally".Ms Reid added the school "had a good number last year but unfortunately a class had to be cut for financial reasons by the Multi-Academy Trust and then pupils were advised to go to other places"."So we started with more and it's gradually dwindled as the year's gone on, since September last year." "Walkhampton is a really lovely village and we've had enormous support," Ms Reid explained, referring to the local community."We just wanted to really celebrate and thank the people who have been here at the school for a long time and the impact it's had on so many children over so many years."So today we're celebrating by singing our school song with invited-back members of the community, former staff and pupils, hopefully they'll all join in."The St Christopher's Academy Trust has been approached for comment.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Buckland Abbey monk music to be played after almost 500-year gap
Rare music is set to be played at a Devon abbey for the first time in almost 500 years after it was found in a medieval book.A "plaintive" music performance by the University of Exeter's chapel choir has been scheduled in August at the National Trust's Buckland Abbey in performance has been set up to celebrate the return of a book to the abbey for the first time since music was discovered by University of Exeter historian Prof James Clark inside the 15th Century book, which is being loaned to the abbey by the British Library. 'Very exciting' The National Trust has worked with experts at the University of Exeter to prepare the music from the book, which was sold to the British Library in Trust music historian Daisy Gibbs said: "Whoever compiled this collection seems to have been unusually creative, pulling together words and music from many different sources."Prof Clark said it was "very exciting" to recover the music. He added: "Before the Tudor Reformation, in every part of England and Wales there were places like this dedicated to creative music-making and performance."Through this research we can now learn much more about this tradition and what it meant not only for the musicians but also for the surrounding communities that shared in their art." Known as a "customary", the richly decorated Buckland Book contained the instructions the monks needed to carry out their daily religious rituals and also contained a rare collection of medieval music copied and added to the book in the early Tudor music is in a style called "plainchant", with single lines of music for monks or priests to sing all than following the rigid liturgical structure of the time, with particular pieces sung at different times of the day, the monks curated a unique sequence of chants drawn from various music may have been used to help the Cistercian monks through a crisis, such as during a sickness of this type of music was lost or destroyed during the Reformation, which saw every priory and abbey in England closed by Henry VIII.
Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Telegraph
Stolen wooden eagle sawn off church lectern returned
A treasured hand-carved oak eagle sawn off a lectern at a parish church by a thief has been returned. The criminal made off with the 1.5ft wooden sculpture, weighing 5lb and thought to be at least 100 years old, from St Paul's Church in Yelverton, Devon, after forcibly cutting it off on Monday evening. The culprit had even put a huge Bible to one side before carrying out the act. However, the eagle, thought to be worth hundreds of pounds, has now been returned after an anonymous caller tipped off the West Dartmoor Mission Community to its whereabouts, the BBC reported. It was found outside a house near the church. It thanked the public for sharing information about its disappearance, adding it was 'very grateful'. Rev Andrew Thomas earlier said: 'There's no CCTV to see exactly what happened but... there have been a variety of descriptions for the man, with some saying stocky and some thin, ages have ranged from late 20s to early 50s. 'They had moved the 2kg Bible and placed it to one side, almost in a respectful manner. 'They then took a saw and cut the eagle off. We are just shocked by the brazenness of it. 'It is all just rather sad and disappointing... It's a unique piece, it's clearly been carved by hand sometime in the past. It is an antique and, in that respect, irreplaceable. 'I don't want to put up CCTV cameras as this is a place of worship and I feel like people should be able to do that in peace but I am not completely taking it off the table.' Sgt Tom Ottley, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: 'The local team are making inquiries and are appealing for anyone with information to get in touch.' In recent years, criminal gangs have been targeting churches to steal expensive sacred treasures. Two years ago, thieves used dynamite to blow open a safe at the Lady St Mary Church in Wareham, Dorset, to steal tens of thousands of pounds of silver. Other churches have lost historical and valuable chalices, candlesticks, crucifixes and plates.
BBC News
15-05-2025
- BBC News
Sawn-off eagle lectern returned after anonymous call
A hand-carved wooden eagle stolen from a church in Devon has been sculpture was sawn off a lectern at St Paul's in Yelverton on Monday evening, the Reverend Andrew Thomas West Dartmoor Mission Community said the eagle had been returned to the church after an anonymous caller tipped them off to its thanked the public for sharing information about its disappearance, adding it was "very grateful". The church mission said the sculpture had been recovered from outside a house near the church in said police were still interested in any information relating to the disappearance of the sculpture.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- BBC News
Devon church 'deeply sad' after eagle lectern sculpture stolen
A hand-carved wooden eagle has been stolen from a church in Devon. Rev Andrew Thomas, of St Paul's in Yelverton, said the sculpture was sawn off a lectern on Monday evening. Mr Thomas said there had were clear signs of sawing on the carpet and described the theft as "deeply sad". Devon and Cornwall Police said the "local team are making inquiries". He said: "I was deeply sad that someone thought this act of violence and entitlement was something that was ok to do."We work very hard here at St Paul's Yelverton to make the churches as inclusive and welcoming and open as we possibly can."So, the fact someone thought this was a great thing for them to do, to come in and do this, was deeply, deeply sad and really quite upsetting."It's a unique piece, it's clearly been carved by hand sometime in the past. "We don't know how old it is, we think it is an antique."It is, in that respect, irreplaceable, so, yes... there is a little bit of anger and a little bit of annoyance." Sgt Tom Ottley, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "The local team are making enquiries in relation to this report and are appealing for anyone with information to get in touch."If you were in the area and witnessed any suspicious behaviour, please make sure you tell us. "If you live in the area and may have dashcam, CCTV or doorbell footage which may help, you can send that in too."Rev Thomas added: "If anyone sees anybody walking down the street with a great big eagle under their arm, please do give me a call; or better than that, call the police because we would like it back."
