Broadwoodwidger Devon
Church of St Nicholas, Broadwoodwidger Devon lies perched on a hill over the River Wolf in Dartmoor.
A parish of 10,655 acres it was made up of many hamlets which housed the workers on the larger farms of the area 
There was a church here as early as 1257 when the first rector (Elyas) was appointed.   The font <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/1532012f4c">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/1532012f4c</a> and chancel arch are thought to date from that period.
The church originally a chapel to St Nicholas was described in early years as St Nicholas de la More possibly named after one of the early monks who took refuge in Devon and Cornwall from the persecution of Christians in Ireland 
The name derives from broad wood of the Wyger family after the manor here passed from the Vypunds to the Wygers c1273.   It was earlier known simply as Broad wood (Bradewode in the 1086 Domesday Book )   In 1288 the church of Bra’wodwizer was taxed £13 on its first fruits in the deanery of Tavistock, the highest taxation of that time in the area. 
The Manor was owned in fief by the Wyger family and Sir John Wyger was patron of the church.  It is first documented as Brod(e)wode Wyger in 1306.  He sold the Manor to Richard de Stapleton in 1319.  
Bishop John Grandison appropriated the church to Frithelstock Priory in 1333, who were paid an annual sum of  £10.17s.6d .  The advowson and manor being also acquired as the gift of Thomas de Stapleton .

Built of stone rubble with granite and freestone dressings, the development of the church is complex. The base of the tower appears to be 12c but the tower is not aligned with the 13c chancel arch. The church may have been rebuilt and re-aligned in the 13c with a 12c west tower and 13c nave and chancel. The masonry of the north transept differs from the nave masonry and it may be a 14c addition. The south chancel chapel (known as the Upcott chapel) certainly precedes the 1531 south aisle with its granite arcades &amp; its south porch, and may have been a 14c chantry.
In the 15c or early 16c the 2-bay arcade between the chancel and south chancel chapel was built, probably contemporary with the south aisle which increased the width of the nave which was re-roofed.   The upper stages of the west tower probably also date from this period.   

Major restoration was carried out in 1871 when the interior was refurbished and the nave east windows were replaced.  As much as possible of the original woodwork was incorporated, which is evident in the bench ends, one of which bears the date 1529 the same date as the rood screen.  On the north side of the nave and in the south aisle several complete early 16c benches survive with rectangular carved ends some with Renaissance arabesques, others with symbols of the passion.  <a href="https://devonchurchland.co.uk/west-devon/broadwoodwidger-church-of-st-nicholas-gallery/#gallery/dafaf032b2181bbae694db9ece5eb39b/144" rel="noreferrer nofollow">devonchurchland.co.uk/west-devon/broadwoodwidger-church-o...</a> The original footings of the sets of benches survive in part as do the moulded back rails. The remaining benches in the nave are 19c with panelled ends. Some 16c bench ends have been incorporated into the choir stalls.. 

In 1965 the roof was found to be infested with death watch beetle and  was so severe that the church was closed for a time whilst £10,000's worth of repairs were made..  The whole roof was renewed in the old barrel-vaulted style and re-dedicated on 10th June 1966  (some old bosses surviving <a href="https://devonchurchland.co.uk/west-devon/broadwoodwidger-church-of-st-nicholas-gallery/#gallery/dafaf032b2181bbae694db9ece5eb39b/131" rel="noreferrer nofollow">devonchurchland.co.uk/west-devon/broadwoodwidger-church-o...</a>   ) 

The tower has 6 bells -  The second, third, fifth and tenor are dated 1775, the fourth is 1872 cast by the Whitechapel Foundry  and the treble 1904.. They were were re-hung in a metal frame in 1978.

A whitewashed stone effigy of William Shilston of c 1500 (Pevsner) has been rammed under an arch on an earlier tomb chest on the east wall of the south chancel chapel.   To make room, the legs have gone and the torso hollowed out. The chest has carved weepers in ecclesiastical dress    <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/g2C34W57s4">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/g2C34W57s4</a>

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broadwoodwidger church devon