Wills Memorial About 700 Metres South East of Harcombe House is a Grade II listed building in the Teignbridge local planning authority area, England. First listed on 28 April 1987. Memorial.

Wills Memorial About 700 Metres South East of Harcombe House

WRENN ID
broken-ember-poplar
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Teignbridge
Constituency
Central Devon MP: Sir Mel Stride (Con)
Country
England
Date first listed
28 April 1987
Type
Memorial
OS grid reference
SX 892 811
Coordinates
50.61945, -3.56718
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Wills Memorial, located about 700 meters southeast of Harcombe House, is a Grade II listed memorial built in 1921. It consists of a table tomb surrounded by a low stone rubble wall and iron railings. This unique memorial honors Edward Chaning Wills, Baronet, and is situated on unconsecrated ground atop a hill rich in prehistoric cairns.

The memorial features a conventional table tomb made from a large dressed granite slab resting on six rough-hewn granite blocks, set on a flinty mound. The slab displays the Wills armorial bearings and crest carved in high relief, along with the phrase "As God Wills." The inscription, also in relief and written in Lombardic script, states, "here lieth the body of Edward Chaning Wills, second baronet, of Harcombe, Chudleigh, Devon born 25 April 1861 died 14 October 1921."

Encircling the mound is a low granite wall designed to resemble an ancient structure, while the perimeter is fenced with plain iron railings featuring pointed finials and a single pedestrian gate between iron posts. Surrounding trees indicate that the site was likely originally associated with special planting. Local tradition suggests that Wills' funeral was conducted as a pagan ceremony, which included a procession from Harcombe House and the ritual slaughter of his dogs and horse.

Local climate

Wills Memorial About 700 Metres South East of Harcombe House receives an average of 870 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 63% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 78% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 15 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 85% of listed buildings. Of these, 6 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

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