The church of St Peter Lew Trenchard

Lew Trenchard is on the river Lew about 8 1/2 miles north of Tavistock. The original church was dedicated to St Petrock but was rebuilt in 1261 and 1520 and re-dedicated to St Peter. It has received recognition due to its rector Rev Sabine Baring-Gould a hymn-writer, theologian, antiquary, novelist, musician, and collector of folk songs who published over a hundred volumes, who was the rector here for 43 years from the late 19th century. The church is noted for a large and impressive rood screen with 23 individual paintings of Jesus's life and of various saints. The medieval rood-screen was destroyed by Baring-Gould's grandfather in 1833, but Baring-Gould collected the fragments as a boy and had it reconstructed in 1899. The pulpit, modelled on the ancient pulpits of Kenton and Launceston, was added in 1900. The church contains some carved Tudor bench-ends. The church had been extensively restored. He and his family lived at Lew Trenchard Manor and were friends of the Taylor family.