Revd. G.D. Melhuish - Notes on the History of Ashwater Parish and Church

The Building to Date.

I have now brought the notes on the building and repairing of the Church up to 1897.
Since that time the Bells have been rehung, eleven Oak Benches, with the old Scraps of carving worked in, have been placed in the North side of the Nave, the North Chapel has been rebuilt, or nearly, so (it is still used as a Vestry, but one day perhaps will again have its altar), most of the South Aisle wall, which was leaning out in a dangerous way has been rebuilt, the Oak Canopy of the Reredos, Choir Seat Fronts and two Memorial Benches in the centre block of seats have been added.

The organ, too, has been placed in the Church, to the betterment of the musical parts of the services I suppose, but certainly to the disadvantage of the general appearance of the building, for it blocks up the whole of the Mary Chapel, hides the Carminow window more or less, and prevents it from doing its duty of giving light to that end of the aisle. These old Churches were not built with an eye to organs and in most of them it has been only possible to choose the least bad position.

Making History:—

One is apt to forget that that history is not only to do with days long past but that we are making history ourselves as the years come and go. So I find that there are a few facts that should be noted and which I think appeared in the magazine but have not been preserved.

First - Changes of boundaries of Ecclesiastical Parishes:-

I - In 1915 365 acres including Heggadon, Buckhorn, Beech Cottages and the Blacksmiths house and shop were transferred to Clawton with the Tithe apportioned at £33-0s-8d.

II - in 1926 422 acres Langafords and Langaford Moors were transferred to Halwill with the Tithe apportioned at £26-18s-03d.

III - In 1926 All that part of Broadwood on your left hand as you go along the road from Dubb's towards Broadbury Castle was transferred to Ashwater. There being no Ecclesiastical tithe on this land , no money passed with it.

The part of Broadwood transferred to Ashwater is approximately 1166 acres. These three alterations resulted in 15 houses taken from Ashwater and 26 added.

Miss Whibley, granddaughter of John and Mary Davy who lived at Alpha's House at the bottom of the village hill and were connected with the Davy's of Bude, has placed a Bench in the Church in memory of her grandparents and another in memory of her mother.

Mr. Leonard Whibley, her brother and formerly Bursar of Pembroke Coll: Cambridge, is now (1929) having a similar Bench erected in memory of Miss Whibley herself who died a year or more ago.

In memory of the men who fell in the war a screen was placed across the entrance of the Building which has been spoken of as the Vestry and it is now used as a Memorial Chapel, Whether it was originally a Chapel seems in doubt but it is not easy to see for what other purpose it was built. Since that a new Vestry has been built between the Font and the Tower.

The long talked of 6th Bell has been cast and Messrs Taylor of Loughborough have the 5 old bells, two to be recast and the others to be dealt with so as to make the peal satisfactory. We hope to have them at work in the summer of this year. (1929).