Loughwood Meeting House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Loughwood Meeting House |
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Loughwood Meeting House
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Baptist |
| Location | |
| Location | Dalwood, Devon |
 Location in Devon
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| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Chapel |
| Groundbreaking | 1653 |
The Loughwood Meeting House is an old Baptist church building. You can find it about 1 mile south of Dalwood village in Devon, England. People have met for worship here since at least 1653. The building you see today might be from the late 1600s or early 1700s. It's one of the oldest Baptist meeting places still standing. Since 1969, the National Trust has looked after it. It's also a special Grade II* listed building, which means it's really important historically.
A Secret Meeting Place
The church was started by Baptists from Kilmington, Devon, a village about 1 mile southeast. Before 1689, it was against the law for Baptists to meet freely. This meeting house was built in a secret spot to keep them safe. It was hidden on a hillside, surrounded by woods. You could only reach it by narrow paths.
The building was also in a special part of Dorset county until 1842, even though it was in Devon. This made it even harder for officials to find. From the outside, it looked like a simple farm cottage. Only the gravestones around it hinted that it was a church. Today, the church is still used for worship twice a year by the Kilmington Baptist Church.
Inside the Meeting House
The building is made of stone with a thatched roof. The inside of the church looks much like it did in the 1700s or early 1800s. There's a high pulpit in the front where the preacher would stand. On one side, you'll see box pews. On the other side, some pews are square, and others run along the wall.
Musicians used to sit in the front pews of the gallery. They had special rests for their music. There's even a small notch in the floor where a bass viol (a large string instrument) would rest. At the back, two small rooms were used for cooking. This was for the midday meal when the church members spent the whole Sunday there. Outside, there's a graveyard with burials dating back to 1659. A stable in the corner was for horses belonging to people who traveled far to attend. There was also a pool for baptisms.
Early Members of the Church
The earliest church records are from 1653. But the church had been active for some time before that. Two early members were John Vernon and William Allen. They had fought with General Fairfax in the English Civil War in 1645.
Other early members were Huguenots, who were French Protestants. They had escaped from France to find religious freedom. Because their names were hard to say, people often called them "French." This name is still common among church members and in the local area today.
