Holy Trinity Church, Ilfracombe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holy Trinity Church |
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| Church of the Holy Trinity | |
The church in 2018
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| 51°12′20″N 4°07′43″W / 51.20558°N 4.12850°W | |
| Location | Ilfracombe, Devon |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1263 1322 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Ilfracombe |
| Benefice | Ilfracombe |
| Deanery | Barnstaple |
| Archdeaconry | Barnstaple |
| Diocese | Exeter |
| Province | Canterbury |
The Church of the Holy Trinity is the main Anglican church for Ilfracombe in Devon. It's a very old and important building. Since 1951, it has been a Grade I listed building. This means it's a special historical building that needs to be protected. The church is part of the Diocese of Exeter.
Church Design and History
This church stands where an even older Saxon church once was. The current building was made much bigger in 1322. At that time, the church tower was actually built inside the main building. The walls are mostly made of rough slate stones, with some smooth limestone parts.
One of the most amazing features is the 15th-century wagon-roof. This type of roof looks like the inside of a covered wagon. It's beautifully carved with many details. You can see bosses (decorative knobs), angels, figures, and even five Green Men in a row. A Green Man is a carving of a face surrounded by leaves.
Special Features Inside
Above where the rood screen used to be, there's a special ceiling part called a ceilure or 'Glory'. It has three sections with fancy cross-ribs and lots of decoration. The ceiling in the chancel (the area around the altar) was updated in 1899.
The church has a very old baptismal font from around 1160. It's square and made in the Norman style. It has carvings of rosettes and ears of wheat on each side. This font was moved to its current spot in 1861. The Elizabethan pulpit (where sermons are given) has arched columns and panels with flower designs.
The first known leader of the church, called a Rector, was Oliver de Tracey in 1263. This is also about when the first stone church was built here. Not much of that first church remains. In 1321, the Bishop of Exeter, Walter de Stapledon, ordered the church to be made larger. This is when the nave (the main part of the church) was made longer and the side aisles were added.
The church tower is the oldest part of the building, dating back to the 14th century. It's quite plain and has a pointed door on the north side. The north and south aisles are separated from the nave and chancel by eight arches. These arches were built in the mid-to-late 14th century. The nave roof is supported by stone corbels, which are like brackets carved to look like mythical creatures.
Windows and Memorials
The chapel on the north side of the chancel was added in the early 15th century. The windows in the aisles are from the Perpendicular Period, a style of Gothic architecture. The beautiful stained glass windows you see today were added in the 19th century. Some famous artists like Kempe and Hardman created them.
The church also has several memorials. There's a small brass cross that remembers six local men who died during World War I. In the churchyard, you can find the grave of Anna Catherine Parnell. She was an Irish nationalist and the younger sister of a famous political leader, Charles Stewart Parnell. Also buried in the churchyard are 19 British servicemen who died in World War I. Their graves are looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). Two Belgian foreign nationals are also buried there.
