It's not every church that can lay claim to a murder doorway. A chapel, a nave and altar make up the usual architecture. But there's one ancient place of worship tucked away in rural Devon where exit marks the spot of a brutal killing. St Petroc's in South Brent is the scene of a 600-year-old murder mystery.

Back in the 1430s the slaughter of Master John Hay - the local priest - caused quite a stir. The Bishop of Exeter was sent to purify the church. Comparisons were made to the sacrilegious slaying of Thomas à Becket at Canterbury Cathedral in 1170.

But whereas the sainted Becket's death has echoed through the centuries Hay's doom is almost forgotten. All that remains is the doorway - now bricked up, as if blamed for the deadly act.

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It is Spring 1436 and horrifying events are about to unfold at St Petroc's. Master Hay has just completed evening prayers or Vespers on the feast of Corpus Christi. He is the local vicar. The term Master was given to him due to his schooling at either Oxford or Cambridge.

There is no record of whether he was popular with his congregation or not. But there was at least one member of his flock who was driven to unholy violence by his presence.

Thomas Weke, a parishioner, entered the church through the doorway by the north chapel at the head of a small mob. The group of men seized the vicar and dragged him from the holy place.

The exact spot of his killing is not known but they took him toward the doorway and beat him to his death - either inside the House of God or just outside.

It is not known how soon after the murder the doorway was blocked up. It is thought the sheer horror of what people witnessed that day was enough for the entry point to be condemned and closed to visitors.

There is some documentary proof of what happened next. Recent research by Peter Taylor gives delves into the history of the building and what is known about the murder itself.

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The Register of Bishop Edmund Lacy (or Lacey), Bishop of Exeter from 1420-1455, says that on June 20, 1436 the bishop commissioned the Archdeacon of Totnes to enquire into the ‘pollution’ of Brent parish church by bloodshed.

A few months later, the bishop himself - still remembered today in a pub named after him in Chudleigh - came to St. Petroc’s. On September 11 he performed a ‘reconcile’ ceremony at the church. This purified the building and churchyard of the sinful act. He also reconsecrated three altar tables.

There is no record of why Hay was murdered. He may not have been the most holy of men, we'll never know. Weke, we can presume, paid the price with his life.

As for the murder doorway. You can still see it from the churchyard. It is in the angle with the north chapel wall. It looks quite small to the modern eye, people being of shorter stature in the 15th century.

The only other reminder of the unfortunate Hay is an effigy. It was uncovered during restoration work in 1900.

It probably comes from his once elaborate tomb built at the time of Bishop Lacy's visit. It was later destroyed in Cromwell's time but the head portion survived. It now stands in the bell-ringing room by the window.

Useful link: Ancient Treasure, Living Church