Gathering together in unexpected places
One windy August afternoon, Tavistock Quakers invited Friends from the surrounding area to join with them in a most extraordinary building on Dartmoor.
Higher Uppacott is a medieval 'longhouse' in which both people and cattle sheltered under a single roof. It has been classed as a Grade 1 listed building of national importance, being one of the few remaining farmhouses to keep its lower part, the cattle shelter (“shippon"), unaltered.
The worship time was very deep and nurturing. Friends ministered about feeling safe and held, helped by being enclosed in the unique space. We sensed the presence of the generations of Dartmoor farming folk that had occupied the building over the centuries. We acknowledged the hardships, whilst mourning the loss of aspects of connection to the natural world.
After worship Simon Dell, a Friend and local walks guide and historian, shared some of the site's history: pointing out the changes in the fabric of the building that gave clues about its medieval beginnings through to the present day. Its story can be pieced together through its architectural features. We marvelled that its roof beams predate those of Exeter Cathedral. We reflected that George Fox may even have passed by on one of his journeys into Cornwall, when the longhouse was already centuries old.
The building continues to support us: allowing Friends to get to know each other, to share deeply and to celebrate living and worshipping in this precious place. It is a joy to be able to come together anywhere: shopping centre, local park or shared heritage building.