St Odulph
Font Cover – Hedges (2005); 1930s
The recollections of Ron Dustan, who worked for Violet Pinwill in the 1930s and was interviewed in 2005, are the only source for this piece, but the font cover is immediately recognisable as Pinwill work. It is one of several made to a similar design, including those at Broadclyst and Tavistock in Devon and Kenwyn and Landulph in Cornwall. Despite Pillaton being relatively close to Plymouth, this was the only commission won by V. Pinwill to carve church furnishings there. Much of the modern work at Pillaton was done by Harry Hems of Exeter and by Herbert Read of Exeter, who married Ida H. Hocking, daughter of the Revd Richard Hocking, Rector of Pillaton 1894 to 1945.
Sources
Hedges, M. (2005) Ron Dustan, Woodcarver in West Country Churches. Dartmoor Society Newsletter 22, 14-19.