What's in a Name?
The parish of Antony has had many different iterations over the years. It was called Antone in the Domesday Book when the manor was leased from Tavistock Abbey. It went by a variety of names over the following centuries, including Antony-by-Rame, Antony St Jacob, Antony-in-East, and East Antony. Just to confuse things further, there are two similarly named villages in Cornwall; Anthony in Meneage and Anthony in Roseland.
But what of the name? The village is traditionally said to be named for St Anthony, but another theory is that the name comes from Anta's Farm.
The medieval parish church is dedicated to St James the Great. Unusually, we know exactly when the church was dedicated, for the records have survived, and show that the dedication ceremony took place on 14 October 1259.
The church was rebuilt in 1420 and then completely renovated in the 19th century. It houses excellent memorials to the Carew family of Antony House, but the historic treasure is a memorial brass to Margery Arundell dated 1420.
There is one pub in the village, The Ring O' Bells, and a village shop.
The real attraction here is Antony House, home of the Carew family, who still live there, though the property is now owned by the National Trust. The house was built in 1711 and is thought to be the inspiration for Daphne DuMaurier's novel 'My Cousin Rachel'. The author is said to have been inspired by the story of Rachel Carew, whose portrait hangs in the House.
