Sampford Courtenay

A charming and unspoilt village with a fine medieval church, Sampford Courtenay is notable for its picturesque assortment of cottages, many of them thatched and built of cob. This local building material is created by mixing well-sieved mud with straw. This is then built up in sections. It was the local tradition to limewash the outside of the cottages at Whitsuntide, a process that helps to preserve the cob. This simple material is surprisingly durable and will last indefinitely provided it has a ‘good hat’, that is, if the thatched roof is well looked after. Another unusual feature of the village is that every road out of it is marked by a medieval stone cross.

This peaceful and pretty village was the unlikely setting for the start of the Prayer Book Revolt of 1549. It was originally initiated as a protest against Edward VI’s introduction of an English prayer book, but when the undisciplined countrymen marched on Exeter, it degenerated into a frenzy of looting and violence. Confronted by an army led by Lord Russell, the rioters were soon overwhelmed and several unfortunate ringleaders executed.