Discover Spreyton

Spreyton combines an impressive village church with vibrant traditions, historical stories and regional fare. Anyone planning a trip with cultural discoveries, village life and special details will find several starting points here for planning their days. A holiday apartment in Spreyton can be the right option if you would like to get to know the village itself and its events more closely.

St Michael’s Church: granite, bells and history

The village’s defining building is St Michael’s Church, a Grade II-listed building. Visitors are welcome to attend a service or look around the church. The approach has a character of its own: from the lych gate, an avenue of lime trees leads to the main entrance. The 75-foot-high tower and the north aisle consist of solid blocks of regularly coursed granite ashlar.

There are details to discover inside as well. The ribs and purlins are decorated with quatrefoil motifs, while large oak corbels depict tin-mining hares, the Green Man and sacred monograms. The granite tower houses six bells; the oldest dates from 1650. In Spreyton, the bells are rung for services on three Sundays each month, and the bell ringers meet every Tuesday evening throughout the year for practice. For families, this interplay of architecture, craftsmanship and audible tradition can be a particularly varied part of their stay.

Views and remarkable stories

St Michael’s Church stands 735 feet above sea level and offers beautiful views of Dartmoor. Inside the church, a piscina and an altar stone also recall an earlier church on the same site; both are believed to have belonged to it. In the churchyard there is a listed gravestone for Thomas Cobley dating from 1844. Another gravestone for Thomas Cobley, his nephew, is considered one of the candidates for the “old uncle Tom Cobley” mentioned in the song. Details like these give a visit both a historical and a storytelling dimension.

Village life, the market and regional traditions

The Spreyton Farmer’s Market and a Full English Breakfast are held every month at Spreyton Village Hall. The farmers’ market features stalls selling regional produce, plants and local crafts. This means a stay can focus not only on sights but also on gaining a direct insight into local community life.

The area’s historic food culture included farms that produced their own cheese, butter and clotted cream. Their orchards also produced their own cider. Agriculture and craftsmanship therefore form another storytelling facet of the village’s history. The Tom Cobley Tavern is a traditional 16th-century pub in Spreyton and adds another historical dimension to the village.

Events with a history of their own

Historically, Spreyton held a revel every year, with sports, games and lively festivities. The historic Spreyton revel was usually moved to midsummer because the feast day of St Michael falls on 29 September. The annual events at St Michael’s Church also include the harvest festival, a candlelight Carol Service and a nativity procession. For 39 years, a competition for the Viscount Lambert shield has been held on the third Saturday in June together with the St Michaels Fayre, with bell ringers from many parts of Devon taking part.

When choosing your accommodation, you can then decide whether you would primarily like to focus on church history, local events, regional produce or views of Dartmoor. A holiday apartment in Spreyton offers a clear choice of location without requiring you to limit your trip to just one type of experience.

More places to help plan your trip

For further orientation, you can also look at Thorverton, Cornwood, South Molton, Buckland Brewer, Brixton, Littleham, Yealmpton and Devonport.

For the broader travel overview: Devon.