MDE1074 - Medieval memorial stone at Parracombe Bridge (Monument)

An inscribed stone was built into the foundation of the bridge at Parracombe village in about 1775. It previously stood very near Holwill Castle. [1] A probably early medieval memorial stone possibly still exists in an inaccessible position in the foundations of the bridge in Parracombe Village (SS 6676 4480). A stone which was once at Holwell, Parracombe (SS 667 446), bearing nearly twenty letters with indenting between (and thought to be in Greek), was described by the Reverend Samuel Badcock [2]. He had gone to look at it, but found that it had been removed some years before. [3] The stone is probably still within the bridge, which was widened in 1864. [4] Parracombe Bridge was washed away in the Lynmouth Flood Disaster of 1952. Subsequently the river bed was widened and the bridge rebuilt (local information). There is now no evidence for the alleged memorial stone. [5] The stone is thought to be from the Dark Ages. [6] No further description of the stone exists, nor any drawing of it. [7] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [8]