All Saints, South Milton Church

Perched on one of the verdant rolling hills typical of the South Hams, you will discover the ancient Church of All Saints with its quirky blend of old and new furnishings, overlooking the village.

The village of South Milton was listed in the Domesday Book (1086) as the Manor of Mideltone which at that time had around 15 households.

It’s believed there was a church in the village prior to the Norman Conquest, when the lands were still held by Anglo-Saxon thanes. There’s no written documents pertaining to the church before a licence for a chapel was granted by Bishop Branscombe in 1269.

By far the most bizarre and unusual feature in the Grade I listed church has to be the font, which is thought to be early Norman. The naive figures appear, at first glance, to be pagan, but the cable moulding around the base is pure Norman.

Another very early object to be found in the church is a charming small bronze crucifix that was ploughed up at Trendwell Farm in 1961.