St Peter's, Tiverton

We have been travelling South and West today, and - being a bit ahead of schedule - were able to make a short detour into Tiverton. Caroline used to shop there, and Simon Jenkins gives two stars to the parish church: its salient feature is a series of stone reliefs on the South side of the exterior, carved nearly 500 years ago and depicting sea-faring scenes. My photograph shows the astonishing degree of detail remaining in some of them, despite the effect of the weather: there’s even a seaman climbing up the rigging.

Walking amongst the churchyard trees, we disturbed a host of spiders’ webs.