Plymtree is a small village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

about 3.5 miles south of the town of

Cullompton Cullompton () is a town and civil parish in the district of Mid Devon and the county of Devon, England. It is north-east of Exeter and lies on the River Culm. In 2011 the parish as a whole had a population of 8,499 while the built-up area of t ...

in the county of

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, England. The parish is surrounded, clockwise from the north, by the parishes of

Broadhembury Broadhembury is a village and civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, north-west of Honiton. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Kerswell, Dulford, Crammer Barton, Colliton and Luton, all to the west of the village. ...

, Payhembury,

Clyst Hydon Clyst Hydon is a village and civil parish in the county of Devon, England. It was in the Cliston Hundred and has a church dedicated to St Andrew. The parish is surrounded, clockwise from the north, by the parishes of Cullompton, Plymtree, Payh ...

and

. In 2001 it had a population of 605, compared to 359 in 1901. The village website provides up to date information about local events http://www.plymtree.org.uk/ The village has a public house called The Blacksmith Arms and a Church of England primary schoo
(https://plymtree-primary.devon.sch.uk/devon/primary/plymtree
which is part of the Culm Valley Federation with Kentisbeare and Culmstock Schools. There is a small community run village shop and post office, a village hall, playground and recreation field. The yearly country fayre is held on the August Bank Holiday which raises funds for the Village Hall and local Riding for the Disabled Group. It has a cricket club and tennis court.

Parish church

St John the Baptist's church is medieval; the tower and the south aisle are

Perpendicular In elementary geometry, two geometric objects are perpendicular if they intersect at a right angle (90 degrees or π/2 radians). The condition of perpendicularity may be represented graphically using the ''perpendicular symbol'', ⟂. It can ...

but the nave and chancel are older. The

rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or ...

is a splendid example and exceptionally well preserved. It incorporates emblems which indicate that it was given by Isabel widow of

Humphrey Stafford, Earl of Devon Sir Humphrey Stafford, 1st Earl of Devon, 1st Baron Stafford of Southwick (''ca.'' 143917 August 1469)Michael Hicks, ‘Stafford, Humphrey, earl of Devon (c.1439–1469)’, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, ...

, who was beheaded in 1469. The wainscoting is painted with figures but they are not of high aesthetic value. There is a small alabaster relief of the Resurrection of Christ which is Flemish work of about 1600. In the churchyard of St John the Baptist's church is a historic yew tree. The first known English personification of Christmas was associated with merry-making, singing and drinking. A carol attributed to Richard Smart, Rector of Plymtree from 1435 to 1477, has 'Sir Christemas' announcing the news of Christ's birth and encouraging his listeners to drink: "Buvez bien par toute la compagnie, / Make good cheer and be right merry, / And sing with us now joyfully: Nowell, nowell."

Notable people

In 1832 Joseph Dornford was presented by his Oxford college to the rectory of Plymtree, and in 1847 he was collated by Henry Phillpotts a prebendary of Exeter Cathedral. He died at Plymtree on 18 January 1868, aged 74.

Historic estates

The parish of Plymtree contains various historic estates including: * Fordmore, anciently ''Ford's Moore'', from before 1161 to 1702 the seat of the ''at Ford'' (later "Ford") family. *Plymtree Manor. *Woodbeer Court.Pevsner

References

External links

Villages in Devon {{Devon-geo-stub