This is another assignment I’ve written in pursuit of my degree in Folklore
Introduction to Brent Tor
Brent Tor is a tor (or large freestanding rock outcrop) on the edge of Dartmoor. It is one of the few sites in Dartmoor to not be made of granite. Instead, it is made from the basaltic lava which flowed in the area some 250 million years ago (Explore Devon, n.d.). Atop the tor sits St Michael’s Church, also known as the Church of St Michael de Rupe or more simply Brentor Church (Visit Dartmoor, n.d.). The church is still in active use, with services generally being held throughout the summer (Visit Dartmoor, n.d.).
The naming of St Michael’s Church is unfortunately a generic one. There are said to be nearly 800 churches called St Michael in England (Brentor Parish, n.d.). Perhaps the most famous example is Saint Michael’s Mound which sits further down the coast in Cornwall. Saint Michael is said to have been preferred by sailors, and to rescue them from shipwrecks (Carrington N. T., 1826)- this may be why churches are so commonly named in his honour near the coast.
The History of Brent Tor
The story of human modifications of the site are said to begin back in 150 BC to 50 AD with the construction of an Iron Age earth-walled hill fort (Brentor Parish, n.d.). The official website states that the church was constructed by local landowner Robert Giffard in 1130 (Brentor Church, n.d.). In its early days it was a small chantry chapel used by priests to pray for the souls of the dead (Brentor Parish, n.d.).
The church is said to have next been mentioned in a Papal Bull issued by Pope Celestine III in 1193, as Sancti Michaelis de Rupe. The unfortunately generic naming of the church could however mean that a different church was being referred to here. In other Papal documents, Sancti Michaelis de Rupe has been used to refer to St. Michael’s Mount (BHO, n.d.). Unfortunately the British History Online website only has Papal documents from 1198 onwards, making it hard to inspect the original wording (BHO, n.d.).
In the early 14th century, the church was rebuilt and enlarged (Brentor Parish, n.d.). As the church in its current form is said to be the fourth smallest parish church in the UK, it is hard to imagine how minimalistic prior designs may have been (Brentor Church, n.d.)- though this may reflect its prior use as a chantry chapel rather than a parish church.
When King Henry VIII passed his Acts of Parliament which forces the closures of churches, the effects were felt at Brent Tor- the patronage of the church was frequently passed around over the following years (Brentor Parish, n.d.). Henry VIII’s son, King Edward VI, commanding an inventorying of the church in 1553 (Brentor Church, n.d.)- but no obvious actions were taken based upon the results of this investigation.
A lasting insult to the people of Brent Tor
One of the early descriptions of Brent Tor can be found in The History of the Worthies of England by Thomas Fuller (Fuller, 1662). He describes how two pregnant “strumpets”, followed by “lewd fellows” fled their homes before settling in the area in the 1400s (Fuller, 1662). These people were peculiar as to not belong to any organised religion, to live in holes, and to multiply without marriage (Fuller, 1662). His description of the area has been cited by many other people over the years. Later in his book he included an update stating that he had been informed that the people had become civilised and started to baptise their children (Fuller, 1662). Unfortunately, this update did not seem to attract as much attention.
The folklore of Brent Tor
A Descriptive Poem By Nicholas Toms Carrington with notes by W. Burt provides an early account of the folklore of the area (Carrington N. T., 1826). This publication speaks of both the North Brent tor and the South Brent tor. It puts forth the legend that the church on the northern tor was built by a merchant who survived a terrible storm (Carrington N. T., 1826). He vowed that he would build a church in honour of St. Michael if he survived the storm, and after using the tor as a point of navigation towards land, picked it as the spot for the church (Carrington N. T., 1826). As for the southern tor, it is mentioned that on the summit there was once several large stones, brought by druids. After a storm in 1824, the stones were blown down and scattered about the area (Carrington N. T., 1826).
The next significant mentions of the folklore of Brent Tor are by Anna Eliza Bray and her husband. In 1830 she wrote a historical novel about a local figure named Fitz of Fitz-ford (Bray, A.E., 1830). The titular character finds himself at Brent Tor, where Bray writes that the church of St. Michael exists because of a pious mariner fulfilling a vow (Bray, A.E., 1830). Bray herself expands upon this story over the years. In May 1832 she sent a letter including her husband’s account of Brent Tor (Bray, 1836). Here the Brays write of two tales popular among the vulgar locals[1]. In one we again see a merchant who survived a storm and built a church to St. Michael on the first spot of land he saw. The other tells of the practicalities of building the church; the church was originally to be built at the foot of the hill, but the devil would move the stones to the top in the night. After the church was built at the top and dedicated to St. Michael, the saint himself appeared and hurled an enormous rock at the devil which scared him away.
In The Plymouth and Devenport Guide (Carrington H. E., 1837)[2] wrote of a merchant who survived a storm and built a church in honour of St. Michael. He makes no reference to the devil and/or stone throwing in his account[3].
Moving forward to 1861, James Hine writes of the church as being constructed in the 13th century by the abbots of the nearby Tavistock (Hine, 1861). He mentions that there is a belief that the church can be ascribed to a merchant who survived a sea storm and built a church on the first spot of land that he saw.
He goes on to describe how the church was originally to be built at the bottom of the tor, where it would be easier for worshippers to reach. The devil would move the stones to the top of the hill in the night with the intention of frustrating the project. The labourers built the church at the top of the hill, despite being harassed by visits of “the arch enemy” (Hine, 1861). After the completion of the church and its dedication to St. Michael, St. Michael drove the devil off by throwing a tremendous bolder at him (Hine, 1861).
Hine makes it clear that he does not believe these legends to be true. He includes the now seemingly obligatory reference to the works of Fuller, and goes a step further to form a connection between how savage the locals are and the legend of the church. He suggests that the local people may have been the ones trying to confound the construction of the church due to their “evil dispositions” (Hine, 1861). Once the church was constructed and consecrated, the locals “became alarmed at the moral force arrayed against them, and fled” (Hine, 1861). With the reference to the devil harassing builders during construction, perhaps this could simply have been the local people. Hine hypothesises that the savageness of the local people could have inspired a monk of Tavistock to write this legend (Hine, 1861).
In more recent times, Jeremy Harte recounts the legends in his book Cloven Country: The Devil and the English Landscape (Harte, 2022). In one account the villagers wished to build their church at the foot of the tor, but the devil would move the materials to the top. After consecration, St. Michael appeared. In this version he not only threw a huge boulder and the devil, but he also threw him off a cliff (Harte, 2022). In the other account, we again have the tale of a merchant who survived a sea storm before building a church to St. Michael on the tor. Hine asserts that the devil himself had summoned the storm. A very similar account of the legends can also be seen in William Crossing’s Folklore and Legends of Dartmoor (Crossing, 1997).
The devil is also said to have interfered with the construction of churches elsewhere within the Dartmoor area. Some 20 miles away sits Plympton St Mary Church. This church was originally to be built upon a tall hill, but the devil kept moving the stones to the base until the builders gave up and built it there- the devil did this in the hopes that a powerful flood would wash the church away (Phillips, 2023). A similar distance away at Buckfastleigh Church, the devil encouraged the church to be built at the top of a hill rather than at the base in the hopes that worshippers would be too lazy to climb the hill (Phillips, 2023). It seems that in Dartmoor regardless of where you build your church, you can blame the location on the devil.
The tale of John Cowling
In 1888, a school girl named Lizzie Walters had a school project to write to a local person of significance. She chose John Cowling, a local stonemason who had carried out work on the church atop Brent Tor (Unearth Devon, n.d.). Lizzie asked John if he knew any ghost stories, and he told her a legend which had been passed down within his family.
This legend tells of a time before Christians lived in Brent Tor, when druids lived upon it- including a priest who would play his harp beautifully. Hearing this music the daughter of the Chief of the Celts fell in love with him, but their love was forbidden. After being discovered the daughter claimed that she was offering herself as a druidic sacrifice, and the priest killed her before fleeing. The devil then offered a deal to the priest that he would protect him for 60 years in exchange for his soul. The priest agreed. After his 60 years he returned to Brent Tor, where the devil appeared and attempted to claim his soul. The spirit of the daughter appeared and drove off the devil. The couple were then returned to their youthful appearances and reunited in the afterlife. During these proceedings the priest dropped his harp near the trenches at the base of the tor, and a spring of water was spawned in this spot; it is said you can now find the spot as it remains eternally green, in even during droughts.
Though this legend does not describe the building of the church upon the tor, it is interesting in that it references the presence of druids at the site, and trenches around its base. It ties into the history of the area around the tor having been an Iron Age hill fort (Brentor Parish, n.d.).
This story again appears in a blog post by a local historian who writes about legends in Dartmoor (Sandles, 2016). A man called Vic Cowling reached out to him to share a family legend which he was once told by his grandfather, John Cowling (Sandles, 2016). The wording of the legend included here is very similar to the wording seen in John’s telling. Perhaps so similar as to discount this as having been an oral history, but rather one discovered from John’s letters[4]. John’s legend of the druids on Brent Tor does not seem to have spread very far. As such, there do not appear to be mentions of people locating the eternally green patch near the trenches.
Modern Usage
In modern times, the Church of St Michael de Rupe still functions as a church. Contemporary Evening Prayer and Evensong is held every Sunday from Easter to Michaelmas at 6pm (Brentor Church, n.d.). You can also get married at the church so long as certain criteria are met[5] (Brentor Church, n.d.).
People who are looking to get outdoors in the area may enjoy hunting for geocaches in the area (Geocaching, n.d.), or playing the augmented reality mobile phone game Pokémon Go (Pogomap, n.d.) on the tor.
For those that want something more intensive, The British Pilgrimage Trust have a solution. A route has been created called The Archangel’s Way which runs the 38 miles from St Michael de Rupe on Brent Tor to St Michael the Archangel in Chagford (British Pilgrimage Trust, n.d.). Whilst the route description does not mention the folklore of Brent Tor, it does mention other pieces associated with other locations on the route.
To celebrate the anniversary of the creation of this route, an event was held in Tavistock. The guest of honour at this event was Jim Causley, a folk musician from Dartmoor (Tavistock Times Gazette, 2023). He was commissioned to write and perform a folk song about the route. He has also previously written and sung a song called “Brentor Legends” (Unearth Devon, n.d.), which tells the story of the devil at Brent Tor.
Conclusions
Unfortunately, the exact sources of the folklore of Brent Tor have been lost to time. The earliest surviving account of the church being built by a merchant who survived a storm comes from Carrington in 1826 (Carrington, 1826). The wording used to preface the recounting suggests that this may have been an oral traditional story of the location, shared amongst the local people. It is interesting that the devil was not mentioned at all. Perhaps different families shared different oral traditions of the location. Perhaps the original story never featured the devil at all.
Mr and Mrs Bray seem to be responsible for the first documented mentions of the devil at Brent Tor (Bray, 1836). It is interesting that the first account they put fourth contained only the merchant, whereas later ones incorporated the devil. Perhaps Mr Bray returned to the area and was told an additional story between 1830 and 1832. Perhaps Mr Bray felt that the story needed some more drama added to it by incorporating the devil.
The notion put forward by Hine that the “devil” in the story may have been unruly locals is an interesting one (Hine, 1861). Fuller did no favours to the reputation of the people around Brent Tor, despite his updated description. Many people discussing Brent Tor over the years have made reference to his original statement, including Hine. The devil throwing rocks around to manipulate where churches are constructed is a commonly seen in Dartmoor (Phillips, 2023). Perhaps Hine is right, and a local monk decided to combine the existing legends of the devil throwing rocks with historical tales of unruly locals interfering with religious constructions.
The tale put fourth by John Cowling is an interesting one in that it does not appear to have been shared anywhere that is not directly connected to him (Unearth Devon, n.d.). Cowling would have been familiar with the landscape of the tor due to his work as a stonemason. Perhaps he invented a story to entertain a young girl who took the time to write him letters. It could be that his grandson then found these letters, and decided to share the story within them.
Of all the folklore associated with the site, the story of the merchant seems to be the most viable one. Although the tor is some 18 miles from the coast, perhaps it does sit high enough that it can be seen from the ocean. A person building a church to give thanks for their survival does not seem too farfetched. Perhaps the locals disagreed with the building of the church and tried to disrupt construction. A local monk then heard of this disagreement years later, and penned the story that is still told today. As with most matters of folklore, we may never know.
References
BHO. (n.d.). Calendar of Papal Registers, Britain and Ireland. Retrieved from https://www.british-history.ac.uk/series/calendar-papal-registers-britain-and-ireland
BHO. (n.d.). Lateran Regesta, 389: 1442-1443. Retrieved from https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-papal-registers/brit-ie/vol9/pp262-265
Bray, A. E. (1836). A Description of the Part of Devonshire Bordering on the Tamar and the Tavy.
Bray, A.E. (1830). Fitz Or Fitz-Ford: A Legend of Devon, Volume 3.
Bray, A.E. (1838). Traditions, Legends, Superstitions, and Sketches of Devonshire Volume 1.
Brentor Church. (n.d.). Services and Events. Retrieved from https://brentorchurch.org.uk/what-we-do/services-and-events/
Brentor Church. (n.d.). St Michael de Rupe. Retrieved from https://brentorchurch.org.uk/about/st-michael-de-rupe/
Brentor Church. (n.d.). The Bells. Retrieved from https://brentorchurch.org.uk/about/st-michael-de-rupe/the-bells/
Brentor Church. (n.d.). Weddings. Retrieved from https://brentorchurch.org.uk/weddings/
Brentor Parish. (n.d.). The Church of St. Michael de Rupe. Retrieved from https://www.brentorpc.org.uk/?page_id=411
British Pilgrimage Trust. (n.d.). Bring Your Own Beliefs. Retrieved from https://www.britishpilgrimage.org/resources/bring-your-own-beliefs
British Pilgrimage Trust. (n.d.). The Archangel’s Way (Dartmoor). Retrieved from https://www.britishpilgrimage.org/portfolio/archangels-way-dartmoor
Carrington. (1826). Dartmoor, a descriptive poem, with notes by W. Burt.
Carrington, H. E. (1837). The Plymouth and Devenport Guide.
Carrington, N. T. (1826). Dartmoor, a descriptive poem, with notes by W. Burt.
Crossing, W. (1997). Folklore and Legends of Dartmoor.
Explore Devon. (n.d.). Brent Tor. Retrieved from https://www.exploredevon.info/activities/places/heritage/brent-tor/
Fuller, T. (1662). The history of the worthies of England who for parts and learning have been eminent in the several counties.
Geocaching. (n.d.). Brent Tor. Retrieved from https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC7BCJT
Harte, J. (2022). Cloven Country: The Devil and the English Landscape.
Hine, J. (1861). St. Michael’s, Brent Tor In: Transactions of the Devonshire Association 1861, Vol. 1, Part IV.
Hwb. (n.d.). The Dissolution of the Monasteries. Retrieved from https://hwb.gov.wales/api/storage/1116ef35-ae76-400b-850f-3c4e49573319/Dissolution_of_the_Monasteries.pdf
Mater Amabilis. (n.d.). Quarrel with the Pope: The Church and King John. Retrieved from https://materamabilis.org/ma/subjects/history/introduction-to-british-history-2/our-ladys-dowry/quarrel-with-the-pope-the-church-and-king-john/
Phillips, D. (2023, November 18). More tantalising accounts of the Devil’s labours on Dartmoor. Retrieved from https://www.torbayweekly.co.uk/news/home/1351729/more-tantalising-accounts-of-the-devil-s-labours-on-dartmoor.html
Pogomap. (n.d.). Brentor Church. Retrieved from https://www.pogomap.info/gym/brentor-church/90723969
R.B. (1682). Admirable curiosities, rarities, & wonders in England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Sandles, T. (2016, March 25). Brentor. Retrieved from https://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/2016/03/25/brentor_2/
Tavistock Times Gazette. (2023, July 29). Pilgrims’ special church service. Retrieved from https://www.tavistock-today.co.uk/news/pilgrims-special-church-service-628695
Tavistock Times Gazette. (2023, July 29). Pilgrims’ special church service. Retrieved from https://www.tavistock-today.co.uk/news/pilgrims-special-church-service-628695
Unearth Devon. (n.d.). Moments From Brentor. Retrieved from https://unearthdevon.co.uk/brentor/
Visit Dartmoor. (n.d.). Brent Tor. Retrieved from https://visitdartmoor.co.uk/things-to-do/moors-tors/brent-tor/
[1] Mr Bray cites Fuller’s description of the local people, before going on to describe them as cacophagi (Bray, 1836)
[2] Any relationship with the Nicholas Toms Carrington who wrote of the sailor in 1826 is unclear
[3] Although he does reference Fuller on how wild and lawless the local people are (Carrington H. E., 1837)
[4] Lizzie sent the letters she had received from John to his son, Frank, after his death (Unearth Devon, n.d.)
[5] As it is now a Church of England church, you must have a legally recognised connection to the parish, and not be a same-sex couple.