Bringing the Past Into the Present: Scanning the Vicarage Stones for Future Generations

3 D Scanning of the Vicarage Stones

On Thursday 13 November, a quiet corner of Tavistock became the focus of a remarkable step forward in the town’s heritage story. In the garden of the Vicarage—normally closed to the public and known only to a handful of specialists—the Tavistock Heritage Trust oversaw the detailed 3D digital scanning of three extraordinary early medieval inscribed stones. These stones are among the earliest Christian monuments in England, and they are central to understanding the origins of faith, identity and settlement in this part of Devon.

The scanning project, undertaken in partnership with the University of Exeter, represents an important moment for the preservation and interpretation of these rare artefacts. For the Trust, it is also a significant step towards achieving a core objective: increasing public access to and awareness of Tavistock’s rich and layered history.

Three Stones, Three Stories

Although they now stand together in the Vicarage garden, the stones each have their own biography—part archaeological, part antiquarian, and part sheer serendipity.

Dating from the 5th to 7th centuries AD, they belong to a distinct tradition of early medieval inscribed stones found in regions with strong Celtic Christian influence. Outside Cornwall, Devon’s examples are particularly scarce: only 12 are known. Tavistock, remarkably, possesses three.

The most prominent is the Nepranus Stone, inscribed NEPRANI FILI CONBEVI—“(The stone) of Nepranus, son of Conbevus.” Nepranus carries a Latinised name; his father, a Celtic one. Standing two metres tall and carved from granite, it is both monumental and deeply personal, memorialising an individual whose name would otherwise be lost to time.

The stone’s modern journey began in 1780 when it was found embedded in the slippery pavement of West Street. Removed for public safety by Edward Bray, it was repurposed as a footbridge near Head Weir until his son, the antiquarian Edward Atkyns Bray, recognised its significance. Enthralled by its inscription, he rescued it in 1804, first placing it at Abbey House (now the Bedford Hotel), and later, after becoming vicar of St Eustachius, installing it in his new garden—where it remains today, partly draped in ivy.

Next to it stand the Buckland Stones, originally from Buckland Monachorum and Roborough Down. The first reads SABINI FILI MACCODECHETI—“(The stone) of Sabinus, son of Maccodechetus.” Like Nepranus, Sabinus bears a Latin name, while his father’s name is early Irish (Goidelic), hinting at wide cultural connections. A rectangular slot later carved into the stone suggests it served as a gate bolt at some stage, probably in a local blacksmith’s workshop.

The second Buckland stone, perhaps the most academically exciting, commemorates DOBUNNI FABRI FILII ENABARRI—“Of Dobunnus the smith, son of Enabarrus.” It is inscribed not only in Latin but also in Ogham, the early medieval Irish alphabet, carved vertically along its edge. Ogham stones are extremely rare in Devon, making this example a treasure of national significance. Rev Bray long coveted the stone, negotiating fruitlessly with the farmer who used it as a gatepost. Only after Bray’s death was it finally moved in 1868, thanks to the intervention of Hastings Russell, the future 9th Duke of Bedford.

Monuments to Memory, Faith and Identity

For many years, scholars interpreted such stones as grave markers or boundary markers for ecclesiastical estates. But recent research has opened up new, thought-provoking possibilities. There are suggestions they may represent shrines to local saints or holy figures. The formula “son of”—traditionally read as lineage—may instead reflect spiritual descent, as in disciple to teacher.

This interpretation invites us to reimagine early medieval Tavistock not as an isolated settlement, but as a place where the spiritual and cultural currents of the Celtic-speaking world flowed freely.

Why Digital Scanning Is Transformational

Despite their importance, the Vicarage Stones face real challenges. They are listed by Historic England as a Scheduled Ancient Monument “at risk” due to weathering, biological growth and their vulnerable location on private land. Public access is limited, and their inscriptions are becoming harder to read.

This is where the scanning project comes in.

Under the guidance of Dr Carly Ameen, the Trust was introduced to archaeology graduate Phoebe Holland, who had recently completed a dissertation using advanced scanning and imaging techniques.

With Exeter University’s state-of-the-art equipment—loaned specifically for this project—Phoebe volunteered to undertake a full digital survey.

Using structured-light scanning, photogrammetry and powerful image-processing tools, Phoebe captured the stones’ surface detail at sub-millimetre precision. The results will be transformed into high-resolution 3D models, revealing inscriptions invisible to the naked eye and preserving the stones digitally for future generations.

These models will be publicly available early next year via Sketchfab, giving residents, researchers and visitors the chance to rotate, zoom and explore the stones as if holding them in their hands.

Towards a More Accessible Future

The Trust is working closely with partners, Historic England and local stakeholders, to secure a sustainable future for the stones. Plans include moving the Nepranus Stone to a publicly accessible location in Tavistock and returning the Buckland Stones to St Paul’s Church, Yelverton. This is complex, specialist and costly work requiring permissions from the Secretary of State and the Diocese.

But the goal is clear: to protect these ancient voices and ensure they can be understood and appreciated by all.

The scans are now being processed into full 3D models. Early next year, you’ll be able to explore them online—rotate them, zoom in, read the inscriptions and discover their stories from your phone or laptop. For the first time, these ancient voices will be accessible to all.

This is a major step in our work to protect Tavistock’s heritage and share it with our community, especially as the stones are currently on private land and listed as “at risk” by Historic England.

A huge thank you to Phoebe, Dr Carly Ameen and Exeter University’s ShArD 3D Labs, and to the volunteers who supported the project on site.

A Heritage Worth Preserving

As they stand, quietly keeping their vigil in the Vicarage garden, the stones of Nepranus, Sabinus and Dobunnus speak of faith, identity, mobility and tradition in early medieval Devon. Through the dedication of volunteers, scholars and the Tavistock Heritage Trust, their stories are being brought back into the light.

In preserving them—digitally and physically—we honour not only Tavistock’s deep past, but the generations who will shape its future.