FOLLOWING the granting of the required faculty permission by the Diocesan Chancellor in June 2016, conservation work has recently been completed to the oldest wall tablet in Crediton Parish Church.

Located in the south choir aisle the tablet is a memorial to Agnes Venner who died in 1658 (confirmed in the Crediton parish registers).

Despite extensive research, it has not been possible to find out anything about Agnes, but to have a wall tablet in the church in such a prominent position, she is believed to have been of some importance locally in the 1650’s.

In the top section of the wall tablet corroding iron work was forcing sections of the tablet apart and the conservation work has been completed before the tablet became unstable and a potential safety risk.

The work has been competed by Torquil and Ruth McNeilage of Talaton based McNeilage Conservation.

Church spokesman Bill Jerman said: "Funding was kindly provided by the Friends of Crediton Church and the Francis Coales Charitable Foundation.

"It is hoped at some point in the next couple of years to be able to clean the Agnes Venner wall tablet and the nearby, but much larger, wall plaque to Thomas Ley who died in 1721.

"Thomas Ley is a former Crediton Vicar and was responsible for donating much of the Crediton Parish Church library that is now housed at Exeter University."