St James and St Anne's Church, Alfington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St James' and St Anne's Church
Religion
Affiliation	Church of England
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Active
Year consecrated	1882
Location
Location	Alfington, Devon, England
Architecture
Architect(s)	William Butterfield
Architectural type	Church
Completed	1849

St James' and St Anne's Church is a special Church of England church. You can find it in Alfington, Devon, England. It was built in 1849. A very important person, Sir John Taylor Coleridge, paid for the church to be built. It was designed by a famous architect named William Butterfield.

In 1952, the church became a Grade II listed building. This means it's an important historical building. The group Historic England said it was one of Butterfield's "early" works. They also said it was "modest" compared to his bigger designs. For example, he designed All Saints' Church in London. The outside of the church is seen as "unusual" because it's very simple. Its bell tower is also quite unique.

History of the Church

St James' and St Anne's Church was built in 1849. Sir John Taylor Coleridge paid for it. He wanted it to be a "chapel-of-ease" for people in Alfington. This meant it was a smaller church for local people. Before this, they had to travel to the main parish church in Ottery St Mary.

Coleridge asked William Butterfield to design the church. At that time, Butterfield was also working on fixing up the main church in Ottery St Mary. Sir John Taylor Coleridge also had a house for the vicar (called a parsonage) and a school built for the village. Butterfield designed these buildings too.

A special burial ground was added to the church in 1876. It was officially opened on September 29 of that year. Later, in 1882, a vestry was added. A vestry is a room in a church where the clergy get ready.

In 1882, Alfington became its own separate church area, called a parish. Because of this, Coleridge's son gave the church to a group called the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. They agreed to give the church £150 a year to help run it. On September 29, 1882, a special service was held. The Bishop of Exeter, Frederick Temple, led the service. The Bishop of Ely, James Woodford, also helped.

Church Architecture

The church is built in an old style called Early English style. It uses bricks that are covered with a rough plaster. The roof is made of clay tiles. It also has a small tower for bells, called a bell turret.

Inside, the church was made to fit about 200 people. It has a main area called a nave. It also has a chancel, which is the part of the church near the altar. There's a porch on the south-west side and a vestry. The font, which is used for baptisms, is shaped like an octagon. It is made from a special stone called Devonshire marble.

Inside the church, you can see several memorials. These are special plaques or statues that remember members of the Coleridge family. Another important part of the church is the east window. This window was designed by Augustus Pugin. It was put in place in 1852 by a company called Hardman & Co. from Birmingham. There is also a special gate at the entrance to the church grounds called a lychgate. It has the date 1897 on it.