Wills Memorial About 700 Metres South East of Harcombe House
WILLS MEMORIAL ABOUT 700 METRES SOUTH EAST OF HARCOMBE HOUSE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1317863
- Date first listed:
- 28-Apr-1987
- List Entry Name:
- Wills Memorial About 700 Metres South East of Harcombe House
- Statutory Address:
- WILLS MEMORIAL ABOUT 700 METRES SOUTH EAST OF HARCOMBE HOUSE
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1317863
- Date first listed:
- 28-Apr-1987
- List Entry Name:
- Wills Memorial About 700 Metres South East of Harcombe House
- Statutory Address 1:
- WILLS MEMORIAL ABOUT 700 METRES SOUTH EAST OF HARCOMBE HOUSE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- WILLS MEMORIAL ABOUT 700 METRES SOUTH EAST OF HARCOMBE HOUSE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Devon
- District:
- Teignbridge (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Chudleigh
- National Grid Reference:
- SX 89231 81145
Details
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
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 85271
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 20-Jun-2026 at 18:22:51.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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