Paignton - St John the Baptist

In late Saxon times, the manor of Paignton was owned by Leofric, the first Bishop of Exeter. Later bishops built the Bishop's Palace adjoining the parish church, some remains of which are still standing.
The first church on this site was possibly a wooden structure but nothing remains above ground, although its foundations have been discovered. The Second (Norman) church was built about 1100 but this was almost completely demolished and rebuilt around 1250. Today, the church which can be seen is the third building to be established there and has been gradually transformed since the Middle Ages.
A ‘memento mori’ - the depiction of the decaying body was intended to remind the viewer of the transience of life and the inevitability of death.