A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
June 12, 2025
An Ecclesiastical square mile – Horndon, Zoar, Willsworthy and Hill Bridge Chapels
In an (approx) square mile in the historical farming and mining communities of Horndon, Zoar, Willsworthy and Hill Bridge there has been over several centuries, a high concentration of Chapels (6), especially given the sparse population of the area. The earliest known Chapel was at Willsworthy, which seems to have been associated with a former Manor House nearby. Both the Chapel and Manor House are no longer extant. The date of this Chapel (and Manor House) is unknown but the author speculates that it might date to 14th or 15th Centuries with the settlement of Willsworthy (Wilfleurde) having been mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The ‘youngest’ is Zoar Chapel which was constructed in 1904, to replace a previous Chapel which was located at No3 Zoar Cottages. Of the other Chapels at Horndon and Hill Bridge, it would seem that they were all constructed and being used during the 19th Century.
Also of note in the area, between Zoar Cottages and the former Wheal Jewell Mine is a rock, known as ‘The Master Rock’ (or Preacher’s Rock) as it was here that Billy Bray, the celebrated Cornish preacher, is reputed to have held an open air service here during his visit to this neighbourhood. The rock being named after this occasion. Following the visit of Billy Bray, a small group of Bible Christians formed in Zoar and in all probability used No 3 Zoar Cottages as their Chapel.
Bibliography
Eric Hemery (1986) – Walking Dartmoor’s Ancient Tracks – A Guide to 28 Routes – (Track 22, the Lych Way)
White’s (1878-9) – Directory for Devonshire
Mary Stanbrook (1991) – Old Dartmoor Schools Remembered (pages 9-13)
Tavistock Times Gazette (16th December 2009) – Tiny Methodist church celebrates final service (Zoar Chapel)
C. Stell (1990) – An Inventory of Nonconformist Chapels and Meeting-Houses in South-West England, 87 (Monograph). SDV346926.
A.Watson, A., (circa 2007) – Devon Crosses, 230, (Vol 2), images (Un-published). SDV360833. Horndon Green
Sketch map of the Ecclesiastical Square Mile with the ‘square mile’ being an approximation. Of the 6 Chapel locations annotated, 4 of them have buildings intact.This Tithe Map (1840) is from Peter Tavy Parish and shows the hamlet of Willsworthy, The former locations of the Manor House and Chapel have been annotated as it wasn’t until on late 19th maps that these locations were added. This map is interesting for two reasons: Firstly, note the House and Courtlage (private garden) on the west side of the lane; Secondly, the size of barn near the Dwelling House on the east side of the lane. The House and Courtlage would disappear by the middle to late 19th Century and the Barn would appear to increase significantly in size. In White’s Directory of Devonshire (1878-9), it was noted that ‘an ancient chapel at Willsworthy has long been used as a cowhouse’, which is an interesting observation, given the fact that the site (chapel / barn) wasn’t even on the Tithe Map some 40 years earlier !This 1873 OS map shows the relative locations of the Manor House and the Chapel, the fact that the ‘House and Courtlage’ shown on the Tithe Map are no longer extant and significantly the Barn at (Higher) Willsworthy has increased in size. This Barn has an ‘Ecclesiastical Window’ placed high up on its western side, which has been assumed may have come from the former Chapel in this hamlet. The Barn at Higher Willsworthy with its ‘Ecclesiastical Window’. The Ecclesiastical relic is suggested by Hemery (1986) to perhaps as being added during Tudor times (late 15th to very early 17th century) to provide ventilation for the hay loft. If the Tithe Map from 1840 and OS Map from 1873 are accurate, it is possible that this feature wasn’t added until the 19th Century.This Medieval looking Ecclesiastical relic (trefoiled light) bears two holes at either side which may at one time have been bar sockets. The farmhouse here had a major enlargement after about 1650Willsworthy (Wilfleurde) entry in the Domesday Book. It was part of the hundred of Roborough and had a recorded population of 4 households in 1086, putting it in the smallest 20% of settlements recorded at that time. Tenant-in-chief in 1086 was Alfred the Breton, and the annual value to him was 1 pound 10 shillings.Uphill from Hill Bridge, this building can be found which was constructed in 1856 as a ‘Chapel of Ease’. It was built within the bounds of the parish for the attendance of those who could not reach the parish church conveniently, due to distanceMary Stanbrook wrote in her book, Old Dartmoor Schools Remembered: “Until 1872 the only schools in the area were at Peter Tavy and Mary Tavy, which were hard to reach for the children living at isolated farms in the area so The Managers’ Committee of Peter Tavy School raised subscriptions to support a school to be held at Hillbridge Chapel”. This plaque over the entrance is a reminder of its previous usesZoar Cottages, where it is reputed a small group of Bible Christians were formed after a visit to the area by Billy Bray, the celebrated Cornish preacher.Bible Christians were a Methodist denomination based mainly in Devon and Cornwall, which were Founded by William O’Bryan in Shebbear around 1815. Members were sometimes known as ‘Bryanites’ after their founder.Close up of a possible Ecclesiastical Window of the former Chapel. The meaning of the name Zoar is ‘little or small’ (as in small village) ‘The Master Rock’ (or Preacher’s Rock), near Zoar Cottages where Billy Bray is reputed to have once preached. William Trewartha Bray (1st June 1794 – 25th May 1868), known as Billy Bray, was a miner in Cornwall who worked for seven years in Devon. Following a close escape from a mining accident, he is said to have turned to religion in November 1823 though reading John Bunyan’s ‘Visions of Heaven and Hell’. He became attached to the Bible Christians and became well known albeit an unconventional preacher, with his sermons being enlivened by spontaneous outbursts of singing and dancingZoar Chapel was one of the last Bible Christian Churches to be built (1904) just three years before the Bible Christians merged with other denominations to form the United Methodist Church. This Chapel replaced the previous once used at No. 3 Zoar Cottages. The giant monkey puzzle tree (araucaria araucana) is said to have come from the garden at Zoar Cottages.Zoar Chapel, now in private ownership, closed in December 2009 after the congregation had dropped to just five regular members. The former organ is now slowly rotting away around the back of the ChapelDate at the front of the Chapel. It was decided that the final service in December 2009, would be a carol service. It was led by the Tavistock and District Methodist Circuit superintendent minister, the Rev Jeff Moles. Tavistock Times Gazette recorded: “Extra chairs had to be put out and the sliding partition was opened to enable the section behind the pulpit”The 1841 Tithe Map (for Mary Tavy Parish) and the 1892 OS Map of Horndon. The apportionment associated with the Tithe Map indicated the building annotated ‘222’ was a Chapel, albeit a relatively small one. It is probable that the 1841 Chapel was superseded by ‘St. Joseph’s Chapel’ annotated on the 1892 OS MapThis Chapel in Horndon was described in 1990 (Stell) as being a Wesleyan Chapel and built in 1836, being closed in 1890. The tithe map suggests this Chapel hadn’t been constructed by 1840, which may cast doubt on the year of construction. A dated inscribed stone of 1860, perhaps suggests the correct year of construction or at least a year of renovation. The Chapel was once used as a barn with entrances at the east and west gabled ends. The building (in 2025) looks abandoned and not being used, with an old tractor being parked in front of the doors at the east endThis Cross Socket Stone stands on a small green at Horndon, between the locations of the 1841 Chapel and St. Joseph’s Chapel. Note the chamfer on the top edge of two sides. It has been measured as 0.71 metres square by 0.40 metres high with the Socket hole being 0.24 metres square. It was recovered in the hedge of Miners Town Cottage (Horndon was once called Miners Town). Watson (circa 2007) recorded that : “a farmer converted it into a tractor counter-weight, surrounding it with several pieces of angle iron, it was found to weigh 1516 pounds (687.6 kilogrammes). It was auctioned at Horndon in 1995 and was successfully bid for by a local couple. The socket stone was placed on a small green at Horndon by the Dartmoor National Park Authority in 1997”. As to where the associated Cross to this Socket might be in unknown.
