Church of the Holy Cross, Crediton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Church of the Holy Cross, Crediton
Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross and the Mother of Him Who Hung Thereon
Crediton Parish Church
50°47′22.70″N 3°39′8.21″W / 50.7896389°N 3.6522806°W / 50.7896389; -3.6522806
Location	Crediton,  Devon
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Broad Church
Website	creditonparishchurch.org.uk
History
Former name(s)	Minster Church of St Mary
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Holy Cross Blessed Virgin Mary
Architecture
Functional status	active
Architectural type	Basilica
Style	Perpendicular Gothic
Administration
Parish	Crediton and Shobrooke with Sandford and Upton Hellions
Deanery	Cadbury deanery
Archdeaconry	Exeter archdeaconry
Diocese	Diocese of Exeter

The Church of the Holy Cross, Crediton is a very old and important church in the town of Crediton, Devon, England. Its full name is the Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross and the Mother of Him Who Hung Thereon.

This church stands where a much older cathedral once was. This cathedral was home to the Bishop of Crediton until the year 1050. That's when the bishop's main seat, called a "see," moved to Exeter. Even after the bishop left, a group of priests called "canons" stayed at Crediton. They managed the church buildings and its daily life. This is why it was known as a "collegiate" church.

Most of the church you see today, especially the main hall (nave) and the area around the altar (chancel), was built in the 1400s. During a big change in England called the English Reformation, King Henry VIII took control of the church in 1545. The group of canons was then broken up.

But the people of Crediton didn't want their church to be destroyed. So, the Crediton Town Corporation bought the church buildings. They still look after the church today. Even though it's now a regular parish church, many people still call it the Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross. It's a very special building, listed as a Grade I listed building, which means it's historically very important.

A Long History of Crediton Church

The Church of the Holy Cross has a history that goes back almost as far as Exeter Cathedral.

From Cathedral to Collegiate Church

In the early 900s, Crediton was chosen as the main church (cathedral) for Devon and Cornwall. A cathedral was built there around 910 AD by a person named Eadwulf of Crediton.

Later, in 1046, a bishop named Leofric was put in charge of both areas. He decided to move the main church for Devon to Exeter in 1050. The bishop's special chair, called a cathedra, was moved to Exeter. It was placed in an old Saxon church until a new cathedral could be built, which took many years.

Crediton lost its cathedral status, but the Bishop of Exeter still kept his palace and lands nearby. The church building itself changed over time. A new Norman church started being built on the current spot around the 1130s. This became a "collegiate church." It was first run by eighteen canons and eighteen vicars, but because of money problems, the number of canons soon dropped to twelve.

This collegiate church was always "secular," meaning the canons and vicars didn't live like monks in a community. Their work was paid for by money from the large lands of the parish.

Changes and Rebuilding

The church was first dedicated to St Mary. But after the 1230s, it became known by its current name: the Church of the Holy Cross and the Mother of Him Who Hung Thereon. The church grew bigger in the late 1200s with the addition of the Lady Chapel and the Chapter House.

John de Grandisson, who was Bishop of Exeter from 1327 to 1369, tried to make sure that the main leaders of the church lived close by. Bishop Grandisson also had a big impact by bringing back the importance of Saint Boniface. He made sure Crediton was known as St Boniface's birthplace. A new statue of St Boniface was made in the 1970s by sculptor Witold Gracjan Kawalec.

Around the 1400s, the old Norman main hall (nave) of the church was falling apart. Money given by people in their wills helped pay for a complete rebuilding of the nave and chancel. This work started in the early 1400s. The new style was called Perpendicular Gothic. It made the church very large and impressive.

The Church Today

Between 1545 and 1549, many collegiate churches in England were closed down. Crediton's church was "surrendered" to King Henry VIII in May 1545. But the people of Crediton quickly worked to buy the church, which was in danger of being torn down. They paid £200 to the king in 1547.

In April 1547, King Edward VI signed a special paper (charter). This created a new group of 12 governors to manage the church and its money. A vicar was appointed for Crediton, along with two chaplains. One of these chaplains served the nearby parish of Sandford.

Today, these twelve governors of the Crediton Church Corporation still own and manage the church buildings. Only two other parish churches in England, the church of Ottery St Mary in Devon and Wimborne Minster in Dorset, are managed in a similar way.

A Local Saying

There's a local saying: "That’s Exter (Exeter), as the old woman said when she saw Kerton (Crediton)." This means you thought your work was done, but there's still a lot left to do. The story goes that a woman was going to Exeter for the first time. When she saw the big, beautiful church in Crediton, she thought it was Exeter Cathedral and believed her long walk was over. But she still had eight more miles to go!

Important Monuments

Inside the church, you can find several important monuments. These are statues or carvings that remember important people.

• William Peryam (1534–1604): He was a very important judge. His monument is on the north side of the chancel.
• Tuckfield Monument: This monument is next to the Peryam monument. It has a statue of Elizabeth Tuckfield (1593–1630) sitting down. Her family later lived in the same house as Peryam's family.
• Heraldic Window: This stained-glass window from around 1924 shows the family symbols (arms) of many old families connected to the church. It was given by W.M. Smith-Dorrien.
• De Sully Effigies: These are statues of John de Sully (1282–1388) and his wife Isobel. John de Sully was a lord of the manor of Iddesleigh.
• Memorial to Redvers Buller (1839–1908): He was an army general who won the Victoria Cross, a very brave award. He lived at Downes House and was the lord of the manor of Crediton. His memorial is near the tower.

The Church Organ

The church has a special organ called the War Memorial Organ. It was designed based on plans by the church's organist, Harold Organ, in 1915. Sadly, Harold Organ died in the war in 1917. But his plans were continued by Cyril Church. The organ was built by Harrison and Harrison of Durham and was first used in 1921. It was fixed up and given a new case in 2001.

Church Services

The Church of the Holy Cross holds many services throughout the week.

Sunday Services

• 8:00 am: Holy Communion (a quiet service)
• 9:30 am: Parish Eucharist (the main Sunday service)
  • On the 1st Sunday, this is a Family Communion in the Boniface Centre.
• 6:00 pm: Evening services, which change each week:
  • 1st Sunday: Choral Evensong with a sermon (singing and a talk)
  • 2nd Sunday: Evensong at St Lawrence's Chapel
  • 3rd Sunday: "Sacred Space," a quiet, thoughtful service at Holy Cross
  • 4th Sunday: Compline at Holy Cross (a short night prayer service)
  • 5th Sunday: Taize Vespers at St Lawrence's Chapel (a reflective service with simple songs)

Weekday Services

• Tuesday
  • 8:15 am: Holy Communion
  • 4:45 pm: Evening Prayer
• Wednesday
  • 9:15 am: Morning Prayer
  • 12 noon: Holy Communion at St Lawrence's Chapel
  • 4:45 pm: Evening Prayer
• Thursday
  • 8:15 am: Holy Communion
  • 4:45 pm: Evening Prayer
• Friday
  • 8:15 am: Morning Prayer
  • 10:00 am: Holy Communion (a quiet service)
  • 4:45 pm: Evening Prayer

See also

Other churches and chapels in the local area:

• St Lawrence, Crediton
• St Swithin's, Shobrooke
• St Swithun's, Sandford
• Beacon Church, Sandford (New Buildings)
• St Mary the Virgin, Upton Hellions
• Holy Trinity, Yeoford
• St Luke's, Posbury
• St Francis', Posbury

Images for kids

• 

  The inside of the Nave, looking towards the East.

• 

  The Chancel, looking towards the East.

• 

  The Church of the Holy Cross from the outside.