WEST ALVINGTON. 



CHAPTER VII. 



Scenes must be beautiful which daily viewed 

 Please daily, and whose novelty survives 

 Long knowledge, and the scrutiny of years. 



Coteper. 



Just appearing above the brow of the hill on your right 

 hand, the pinnacles of West Alvington Church tower may- 

 be seen. One of these pinnacles was struck by lightning 

 in the winter of 1833, when one of the large granite stones 

 at its base, weighing more than a hundredweight, was blown 

 out. It was afterwards replaced. 



Risdon says, "The manor of West Alvington, which had 

 been an ancient demesne of the crown, was given by King 

 John to Alice de Rivers, Countess of Devon. After the death 

 of Alice, wife of Patrick de Chaworth, and daughter and heir 

 of William de la Ferte, it escheated to the crown, and King 

 Henry III. granted it to Matthew de Besils." The lords of 

 this manor had the power of inflicting capital punishment. 



The vicarage of West Alvington includes also the parishes 

 of Malborough, South Milton, and South Huish. The 

 present Vicar is the Ven. Archdeacon Earle, M.A., Preben- 

 dary of Exeter. 



The church, which is dedicated to " All Saints," has a fine 

 embattled tower, and there are within the church some 



