Norman Craftsmanship on Exmoor

After the Conquest, there seems to have been much more activity as the parish structure emerged on Exmoor. In southern Exmoor seven churches have Norman fonts, a remarkable survival in a relatively small area which may mark the date at which those churches were founded or acquired parochial responsibilities such as baptism. In general, settlements now cluster around most churches, in which the church was customarily built next to the manor house. A great deal of expense would have been incurred on the building of the churches, they were probably the only substantial stone buildings on Exmoor and would have dominated the landscape.