View up Pilton Street in June 1982

Pilton Festival in Barnstaple, North Devon, started in 1982 following the arrival of the Rev. Anthony Geering as Vicar of St Mary’s Church, Pilton.  Together with Ian Thomas, Albert Linacre, Noel Harley and others, he started what has now turned into the annual Pilton Green Man Festival. Click here to see a short video is of a discussion with Ian and Sue Thomas, who lived here in the 1980s, when they visited Pilton in September 2013.  Ian was interviewed by Martin Haddrill and Sue Thomas, Pet Harley, Liz Eveleigh and John Norman were all  involved in the discussion.  It gives a good idea of how the Pilton Festival first came about and how it took place again in 1984 and 1986 and then went yearly in 1988 after the Easter Festival organised by the Horse & Bamboo Theatre Company in 1987.

Extract from Pilton Graveyard Plan

The St Mary’s Church Burial Registers, Graveyard Plan and Index were first compiled by Francesca Ross with assistance from John Norman in 2008. They are based on the inscriptions on the gravestones and the Burial Registers. This image is an extract from the Graveyard Plan which is as complete as they could make it.  However, there are records of burials with no corresponding memorial and references on memorials which have no counterpart in the burial registers.  Because of the deterioration of some of the gravestones, it is probable that some names and dates may have been incorrectly transcribed.

The Registers, Plan and Index are held in the Church and can be seen by applying to the Church Office on 01271 345649 to make an appointment.