Combe Raleigh, Devon
Church of St Nicholas, Combe Raleigh Devon  - The village has had many names until 1653 when the &quot;Rawleig&quot;  connection was added although a Sir John Ralegh of Beaudeport (Bridport) moved into the area in 1284.  The dedication of the church, however, is far earlier with the name &quot; Cumb Sancti Nicholai&quot;
Inhabited since the Bronze Age, despite no trace remaining there may well have been an earlier place of worship on the site since the list of Rectors dates from 1260 and in 2009 a carved stone head was revealed inside the nave wall, which it is believed could be either late Saxon or early Norman in origin,
Approached via a 1909 lychgate, the present building  is mainly from early 15c with chancel, nave, south porch, and north aisle added in late 15c,  The tower is earlier, built in 14c.  
It now serves a population about 200 in a parish that covers about 1750 acres lying north of Honiton on the other side of the River Otter.
Lord of the manor William Denys &amp; wife Joan founded a chantry in late 13c followed in late 14c by Joan Bonville 
In 1498 a perpetual chantry dedicated to St. Mary and St. Erasmus in the new north aisle was established in the church by the lady of the manor Cecily Bonville &amp; husband Maurice Moore here between c. 1488-1500, for the repose of the Bonville family souls,  and it was at this time that a house was provided for the chanter priest. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/sCfn010437">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/sCfn010437</a>
Indeed similarities between mouldings of the north arcade, tower arch and chancel arch suggests a major phase of rebuilding took place 15c.
There is also a date of 1700 &amp; initials EF on the chancel gable, and the nave &amp; north aisle probably had a thatched roof until the 1780s when records show  ‘14,700 slates were bought and a great deal of work was done’.   
Substantial alteration and restoration took place during the 19c when the vestry was built, a musicians’ gallery removed, and new pitch pine pews installed to provide seating for about a hundred.
A number of interesting and unusual features still remain. These include the tower turret which is attached in what is described as a ‘bold’ manner and the 14c oak door at the foot of the tower stairs which still has the original lock and key. The south door, also of oak, is extremely old and unique in design, being formed of 2 leaves that are hinged in the middle. 
The font is 15c.  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/fm34CV57Y4">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/fm34CV57Y4</a>

Although the clock by G. Wadham of Bath on the east face of the tower is thought to be from c 1870, church records show it has been wound since at least 1837, indicating that it could be a replacement for an earlier one .  
The organ dates from 1887, presented in memory of Major William Warry Stone by his father .  An electric blower was added in 1973 by benefactor and churchwarden Newall Watson. 
A faculty in 1937 allowed for the installation of electric light at a cost of £30:9s:8d. 
The stained glass windows are mainly mid 19c apart from the beautiful window by the font which was commissioned by the village to mark the millennium. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/x4w01C0p8k">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/x4w01C0p8k</a>

There are a number of memorials including several to members of families who were Lords of the Manor including the Bernard family who bought the Manor in 1792 &amp; one to  Admiral Thomas Graves who was Nelson’s second in command at the Battle of Copenhagan

John Sheldon husband of Rebecca daughter of Rev William Palmer, who was the rector here from 1726, has a headstone  churchyard.  <a href="https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1333783" rel="noreferrer nofollow">historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1333783</a> though apparently he was not buried there. 
 He lectured in anatomy and in 1782 became Professor of Anatomy to the Royal Academy.  Interested in embalming  ‘when his mistress died , he embalmed her and kept her in his bedroom until the lady he afterwards married turned her out.’  Later her body was stowed away in a back room of the Royal College of Surgeons until 1941 when the college received a direct hit during the Blitz. 

Mindful of modern expectations a composting toilet was built in 2016 and mains water was piped into the tower during 2020.

Until 2018 the tower housed three bells, the oldest dating from c1430 cast by Robert Norton of Exeter.  . In 2011 an ambitious project was proposed to restore the bells, augment them to a peal of six and construct a mezzanine ringing chamber in the tower.  After a vigorous fund-raising campaign which brought in £110,000 these were dedicated by the Bishop of Exeter in October 2017.

Within the old churchyard survives a yew tree estimated to be between 900 and 1000 years old. 
In 1956 a field bounding the north side of the church was purchased as an extension to the burial ground which is still open and is covered with snowdrops and primroses in Spring.

<a href="https://comberaleigh.org/combe-raleigh-history/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">comberaleigh.org/combe-raleigh-history/</a>


comberaleigh combe raleigh church devon