Religious observance was commonplace in Clovelly at the time of Barefoot on the Cobbles and the church-chapel divide was alive and well. Even though there are two descriptions of services in the parish church in the novel, many of the characters were Methodists rather than Anglicans. With no Methodist burial ground in Clovelly, Anglicans and Methodists alike were buried in the parish church. We do visit the chapel in chapter seven, just after Leonard has first encountered Annie.

Charles Haimes is credited with bringing Methodism to Clovelly in the very early years of the nineteenth century. His first convert was allegedly Mrs Whitefield. In common with other local landowners, there was initial resistance from the incumbent of Clovelly Court; with tenants being threatened with eviction if they attended Methodist services. This attitude softened Clovelly Methodist Chapel, which nestles behind the New Inn, is owned by Clovelly Estate.* In 1893 the north wall of the chapel collapsed, possibly due to the ingress of water. In the early twentieth century the chapel would be full each Sunday and the post-service gossip would have formed an important part of the weekly routine.

* The History of Methodism in North Devon by John Hayman Gould.

Barefot on the Cobbles will be published on 17 November 2018. More information about the novel can be found here. Copies will be available at various events in the weeks following the launch or can be pre-ordered from Blue Poppy Publishing or the author.

‘It was Sunday before Leonard saw the girl again. Leonard’s attendance at chapel was borne out of habit rather than conviction. His parents went, many of his neighbours went, except, of course, the Anglicans who plodded up the hill to All Saints or crammed into the tiny, village chapelry that was St Peter’s. It was what you did.’