Sheepstor
Encyclopedia
Sheepstor is a village and civil parish on the western side of Dartmoor
in the county of Devon
, England. In 2001 its population was 53, down from 95 in 1901. For administrative purposes the parish is grouped with the parishes of Meavy
and Walkhampton
to form Burrator Parish Council
, and for electoral purposes it is grouped with the same two parishes to form Burrator Ward
. Burrator Reservoir
, constructed in 1898, is to the north of the village and forms part of the northern boundary of the parish.
The name Sheepstor has evolved considerably since the first reference to a settlement here which was recorded in a pipe roll of 1168 as Sitelestorra. In a document of 1262 it was Skytelestor, Shittestorre in 1474, Shistor in 1547 and in c. 1620 Tristram Risdon
called it Shetelstor now Shepstor. The name probably derives from the Old English scyttel(s) meaning a bar or bolt, reflecting the shape of the nearby Sheeps Tor.
, is built of granite and dates from the 15th century, though a chapelry
was first documented here in 1240. The church contains a fine rood screen
which was reconstructed in 1914 by the then vicar Hugh Breton from drawings made of the original that had been removed in a 19th century restoration
. Buried in the churchyard are James Brooke
, Charles Brooke and Charles Vyner Brooke
, the three White Rajahs
of Sarawak, as well as Bertram Willes Dayrell Brooke
, another member of the family. The graves of the Rajahs have been designated Grade II listed monuments by English Heritage.
There are currently six bells in the church tower, five of which were cast in 1769, with a sixth hung in 1904; one of the older bells has inscribed on it the words 'I call the quick to church and the dead to grave'. A local legend tells that the bell ropes of the church were once tied together and lowered into Crazywell Pool
, 3.6 km to the north east of Sheepstor, in order to determine the depth. According to the legend the ropes descended as much as 90 fathoms without reaching the bottom, causing people to believe the pool is bottomless.
The church has been renovated several times, the most thorough of which was in 1861 at a cost of £590.
film War Horse
, and the village with its prominent church tower features in an aerial shot in the trailer for the film which was released on 29 June 2011.
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
in the county of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England. In 2001 its population was 53, down from 95 in 1901. For administrative purposes the parish is grouped with the parishes of Meavy
Meavy
Meavy is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Devon. Meavy forms part of the district of West Devon. It lies a mile or so east of Yelverton. The River Meavy runs near the village...
and Walkhampton
Walkhampton
Walkhampton is a village and civil parish on the western side of Dartmoor in the county of Devon, England. The village lies on the Black Brook, a tributary of the River Walkham, about south-east of Tavistock, near the villages of Horrabridge, Yelverton and Dousland. Burrator Reservoir, constructed...
to form Burrator Parish Council
Burrator
Burrator is a civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is entirely within the boundaries of the Dartmoor National Park and was formed from the older parishes of Meavy, Sheepstor and Walkhampton....
, and for electoral purposes it is grouped with the same two parishes to form Burrator Ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
. Burrator Reservoir
Burrator Reservoir
Burrator Reservoir is a reservoir on the south side of Dartmoor in the English county of Devon. It is one of a number of reservoirs and dams that were built over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries in the area now covered by Dartmoor National Park to supply drinking water to the rapidly...
, constructed in 1898, is to the north of the village and forms part of the northern boundary of the parish.
The name Sheepstor has evolved considerably since the first reference to a settlement here which was recorded in a pipe roll of 1168 as Sitelestorra. In a document of 1262 it was Skytelestor, Shittestorre in 1474, Shistor in 1547 and in c. 1620 Tristram Risdon
Tristram Risdon
Tristram Risdon was an English antiquary and topographer, and the author of Survey of the County of Devon. He was able to devote most of his life to writing this work. After he completed it in about 1632 it circulated around interested people in several manuscript copies for almost 80 years before...
called it Shetelstor now Shepstor. The name probably derives from the Old English scyttel(s) meaning a bar or bolt, reflecting the shape of the nearby Sheeps Tor.
Sheepstor Church
The village church, dedicated to St LeonardLeonard of Noblac
Leonard of Noblac or of Limoges or de Noblet , is a Frankish saint closely associated with the town and abbey of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, in Haute-Vienne, in the Limousin of France.-Traditional biography:According to the romance that...
, is built of granite and dates from the 15th century, though a chapelry
Chapelry
A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England, and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. It had a similar status to a township but was so named as it had a chapel which acted as a subsidiary place of worship to the main parish church...
was first documented here in 1240. The church contains a fine rood screen
Rood screen
The rood screen is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or wrought iron...
which was reconstructed in 1914 by the then vicar Hugh Breton from drawings made of the original that had been removed in a 19th century restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
. Buried in the churchyard are James Brooke
James Brooke
James, Rajah of Sarawak, KCB was the first White Rajah of Sarawak. His father, Thomas Brooke, was an English Judge Court of Appeal at Bareilly, British India; his mother, Anna Maria, born in Hertfordshire, was the illegitimate daughter of Scottish peer Colonel William Stuart, 9th Lord Blantyre,...
, Charles Brooke and Charles Vyner Brooke
Charles Vyner Brooke
Vyner, Rajah of Sarawak, GCMG was the third and final White Rajah of Sarawak.-Early life:...
, the three White Rajahs
White Rajahs
White Rajahs refers to a dynasty that founded and ruled the Kingdom of Sarawak from 1841 to 1946, namely the Brookes, who came originally from England. A Rajah is a monarch in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.-Rulers:...
of Sarawak, as well as Bertram Willes Dayrell Brooke
Bertram Willes Dayrell Brooke
Captain Bertram Willes Dayrell Brooke, Tuan Muda of Sarawak was a member of the family of White Rajahs who ruled Sarawak for a hundred years. He was the son of Charles, the second of these rajahs, and brother to Vyner of Sarawak, the third and final ruler of that family...
, another member of the family. The graves of the Rajahs have been designated Grade II listed monuments by English Heritage.
There are currently six bells in the church tower, five of which were cast in 1769, with a sixth hung in 1904; one of the older bells has inscribed on it the words 'I call the quick to church and the dead to grave'. A local legend tells that the bell ropes of the church were once tied together and lowered into Crazywell Pool
Crazywell Pool
Crazywell Pool or Crazy Well Pool is a large pond situated about south of Princetown just off the path between Burrator and Whiteworks on the western side of Dartmoor, Devon, England at . It is about long and has a surface area of about ....
, 3.6 km to the north east of Sheepstor, in order to determine the depth. According to the legend the ropes descended as much as 90 fathoms without reaching the bottom, causing people to believe the pool is bottomless.
The church has been renovated several times, the most thorough of which was in 1861 at a cost of £590.
Sheeps Tor
Sheeps Tor, from which the village is named, is a prominent outcrop about half a mile north east of the village. The summit is 369m above sea level and it is one of the area's most prominent tors.Sheepstor in popular culture
In 2010 Sheepstor was one of the filming locations for the Steven SpielbergSteven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
film War Horse
War Horse (film)
War Horse is a 2011 British-American war drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and is intended for release in the United States on 25 December 2011 and in the United Kingdom on 13 January 2012...
, and the village with its prominent church tower features in an aerial shot in the trailer for the film which was released on 29 June 2011.
See also
Nearby archaeological sites:- Yellowmead DownYellowmead DownYellowmead Down near Sheepstor in Devon, England, is a Bronze Age concentric stone circle consisting of four rings of stones set within one another. The largest is 20m wide and the smallest, 6m....
- DrizzlecombeDrizzlecombeDrizzlecombe or Thrushelcombe is an area of Dartmoor in the county of Devon, England. It is located on the western side of the moor about east of the village of Yelverton, to the west of the upper reaches of the River Plym....
- Eylesbarrow mineEylesbarrow mineEylesbarrow mine was a tin mine on Dartmoor, Devon, England that was active during the first half of the 19th century. In its early years it was one of the largest and most prosperous of the Dartmoor tin mines, along with Whiteworks mine and the Birch Tor and Vitifer mines. Its name has several...
- Cadover Cross