Sextons Cottage and Church House (National Trust), Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park
A sexton maintained church buildings and the graveyard. The sexton's cottage was his home. The 'church house was the medieval equivalent of the church hall. Its chief purpose was to house the festivals and church ales which raised funds for many an English parish church until the rise of Puritanism'*.
Today, the Sextons Cottage is a National Trust shop. The Church House is a space used by the local community.
National Trust members can visit the church house when it's not in use by local people. Ask if it's possible to visit at the Sexton's Cottage.
According to a local information board, the 'Church House dates from the 16th century and now belongs to the National Trust. In its early days, it was used as a resting place and hostelry by parishoners attending the church. Subsequently, the Church House provided three or four almshouses for local poor families. During the 19th century it became the village school. A new school was built in 1932 and the Church House has since become the meeting place for most village activities'.
*Source: the website 'buildinghistory.org' to which we provide an external link.
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