Wills Memorial About 700 Metres South East Of Harcombe House

CHUDLEIGH SX 88 SE 1/17 Wills memorial about 700m South east of Harcombe House

GV II

Memorial comprising a table tomb encircled by a low stone rubble wall and iron railings. 1921. Granite. An idiosyncratic memorial to Edward Chaning Wills, Bart (q.v. Harcombe House) sited on unconsecrated ground on a hill top rich in prehistoric cairns. The memorial combines a conventional table tomb with a low drystone granite rubble wall reminiscent of a prehistoric memorial, the whole surrounded by iron railings. The table tomb, erected on a flinty mound is a large dressed granite slab set on 6 rough- hewn granite blocks. The Wills armorial bearings and crest are carved in high relief on the granite slab with the text "As God Wills". The inscription, carved in relief in Lombardic script on the sides of the slab, reads " here lieth the body of Edward Chaning Wills, second baronet, of Harcombe, Chudleigh, Devon born 25 April 1861 died 14 October 1921". The low granite wall surrounding the mound is designed to look like an antiquity. The perimeter fence of plain iron railings wih pointed finials has a single pedestrian gate between iron posts. The trees surrounding the memorial suggest that it was originally associated with special planting. The funeral is said locally to have been conducted as a pagan ceremony with a procession from Harcombe House and the ritual slaughter of Wills' dogs and horse.

Listing NGR: SX8923181145