East Budleigh Devon
Church of All Saints. East Budleigh Devon built of the local red sand stone that would have been collected from beneath the sea cliffs.   It stands high above the main street in market town which was a port until the nearby River Otter silted up in the 15c
Mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book as Bodelie, it had  land for 13 ploughs. There were 16 villains (farmers who held 30 acres) , 20 borders (small holders who owned 5 acres) , 10 swineherds and 4 serfs (who held no land and were in bondage to others)  There are five acres of meadow, and 100
acres of pasture and 20 acres of wood.
Various spellings have followed over the years:
1125 : Budelega 1210 : Budeleghe  1218 : Buteleg 
1412 : Estbodelegh 1671 : Estbudleigh     

The present church replaced an earlier 12c building which in turn had been founded on a Saxon Christian site.  The first recorded vicar was Stephen de Budleigh of 1261 presented by the  Prioress and Convent of Polsloe [Exeter].  (An early 12c charter states that the church was given to these Benedictine nuns of St Katharine who came to live in a priory here which is now believed to have been on the north side of the church. They owned large tracts of agricultural lands, woods, rivers, manorial mills and foreshore around  the village for the next 350 years),
The earlier 12c church consisting of a nave, chancel &amp; low bell tower was enlarged during Bishop Lacy’s episcopate c 1420 with north &amp; south aisles divided from the nave with arcades of Beer stone  - The roof would have most likely been thatched originally, and then covered in wooden shingles and finally slates. 
It now consists of chancel, nave, north and south aisles, south porch and embattled western tower with clock and 8 bells – 3 bells were listed in 1553 in the church inventory.   All 3 were recast and 2 more added in 1755 by the Bilbie family who had a foundry in Cullompton ( Until 1966 the bells were always rung from the ground floor until a ringing chamber was provided and the bell ringers had to give way to the placing of the church organ in the tower space.  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/2R75m28ozR">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/2R75m28ozR</a>

It is noted for its connection with the Raleigh family, Sir Walter Raleigh being born in the parish and worshipping in the church with his father who was warden  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/F3wW29QfAQ">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/F3wW29QfAQ</a>

At one time there was a rood loft supported by a beam fixed above the screen.   This loft must have projected two to three feet from the chancel arch; the end of the beam was found in its original position in the 19c when the rood staircase was opened up.   The cresting of the screen is comparatively modern, and in the lower panels the oak has been replaced with deal.
The entrance to the staircase is between the pier of the chancel and of the south aisle and the first half pier of the nave, the lower and upper doorways both face the nave. There is a curious squint in the staircase, which could not have been for the use of the congregation unless the door was kept open.   <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/y822irmj66">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/y822irmj66</a> A second squint is in the south aisle, separated from the rood staircase by the width of the half pier of the nave. 

The bench ends dating from 1537 have unusually rich carving none of it religious, which perhaps enabled them to survive the subsequent Reformation and Commonwealth.  Square-headed and about 3 feet high, and from 16 to 17 inches broad.  There are about 63 remaining, and in no two cases is the carving alike.   Complete set of 16th century oak benches of high quality workmanship.  All are slightly different giving rise to the impression that they were acquired over a period rather than being a single scheme.  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/fmh3P3855g">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/fmh3P3855g</a>
More poignant are 2 bench ends carved by a local carpenter in memory of those who perished in WW1 <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/149175983F">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/149175983F</a>

At the eastern end of the central aisle on the north side is the Raleigh pew, with the family arms carved on the end.  Here also is the gravestone of Johanne the second wife of Sir Walter Raleigh’s father John    

The registers date,  baptisms, 1555; marriages, 1556; burials, 1562.

The church was restored in 1853 when the chancel was extended to the north where Saxon stonework was found 

Picture with thanks - copyright Sprayerman <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2511169/all-saints-churchyard" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2511169/all-saints-churchyard</a>
eastbudleigh east budleigh devon church