Our Lady and St Anne's Church, Widemouth Bay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Our Lady & St Anne's |
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Interior in 2004
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| 50°47′24″N 4°33′05″W / 50.789993°N 4.551509°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholicism |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | chapel of ease |
| Completed | 1929 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 22 |
| Number of floors | 1 |
| Materials | timber, asbestos |
| Bells | 1 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Poundstock |
| Deanery | Stratton |
| Diocese | Truro |
The Church of Our Lady and St Anne is a small, friendly Anglican church. It is located in the village of Widemouth Bay, which is in Cornwall, England. This church is a special place for worship and community gatherings.
Contents
A Church with a Moving Story
The Church of Our Lady and St Anne was built in 1929. It was first used as a private oratory, which is a small chapel for private prayer. Its first location was at the opposite end of Widemouth Bay village.
Who Built This Church?
There are two main ideas about who the church was originally built for. One idea suggests it was made for three priests. Their names were Claude, Reginald, and Frank Kingdom. Their family were important landowners, called squires, in nearby towns. The brothers used the oratory as a quiet place each summer. They would go there to write their sermons for the rest of the year.
The other idea is that two women, Miss Kirby and Miss Topham, built the church. They then allowed the three Kingdom brothers to use it every year. Both stories show that the church was a peaceful retreat.
Moving to a New Home
In the 1930s, Widemouth Bay became very popular as a seaside resort. More and more people started to live there. Because the church was lightweight, it could be moved. So, in 1940, it was moved to its current spot. The vicar of Poundstock had bought this new piece of land.
Our Lady and St Anne's then became a chapel of ease. This means it was a smaller church built to serve people who lived far from the main parish church. Before this, people had to travel all the way to St Winwaloe's in Poundstock to attend church services. The move made it much easier for the growing community to worship.
Features of the Church
The church has a nice garden around it. However, you won't find any headstones there. This means it's not a traditional graveyard.
In 2006, the church's community built a timber summerhouse. This building is used as a meeting place for everyone. It helps bring people together.
The church is known for its small size. Because of its modest dimensions, it was even featured in a book! It appeared in Tiny Churches, a book written by Dixe Wills in 2016.
