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The Pulpit

Return to St Sylvester’s

St Sylvester's Pulpit from a different angle

Stylistically of the later 15th to very early 16th century, it is certainly not in its original position, having been strapped to the front of the eastern pillar of the north nave arcade in the 18th or early 19th century, while its base dates from the end of the 19th century. [Robert Waterhouse The Parish Church of St Sylvester, Chivelstone: An Archaeological Survey]

Special notice should be taken of the pulpit. It is all in one piece, being hollowed out of the trunk of a large oak tree; the outside has been shaped into octagonal form, and is richly carved and painted to match the screen. [John Stabb  Some Old Devon Churches (1908)].

As apart of the National Heritage Lottery Fund project, it was agreed that the medieval pulpit should be cleaned. This was a very complex and detailed operation carried out over several weeks by Lynne Humphries and her colleague, Emma Norris.

Restored Pulpit in St Sylvester's Church

To learn all about the restoration of the pulpit click Cleaning the Pulpit.