St Pancras Church, Exeter facts for kids
St Pancras Church is a small, old church right in the middle of the Guildhall Shopping Centre in Exeter, England. Most of the church was built in the 1200s. But its special font is even older, from the 1000s! People think this church might be the oldest Christian spot in Exeter. It's usually open during the week.
This church is also a Grade II* listed building. This means English Heritage has marked it as a very important historical place. It needs to be protected.
Contents
History of St Pancras Church
Early Beginnings
We don't know exactly when St Pancras Church was first built. It is named after Saint Pancras. This name suggests it might have been built a very long time ago. Perhaps it was built during the Anglo-Saxon times. Old records talk about an archway in the church. This archway looked like it was built in the Saxon style. It was later taken out when the church was fixed up.
The church was first written about in 1191. But most of the building you see today was put up in the 1200s. Over many years, the church was sometimes used and sometimes not. This happened between 1658 and 1831.
Changes Over Time
In 1831, a part of the church called the chancel arch was taken down. A simple new one was put in its place. Later, a famous architect named John Loughborough Pearson worked on the church. He rebuilt the arch to look like the original one. New seats, called pews, were also added for people to sit on.
In 1906, another church nearby, All Hallows Church, was pulled down. This was done to make roads wider. St Pancras Church then received some special items from All Hallows. These included a wooden pulpit from the Jacobean period. It also got old stone tablets that remembered people.
Surviving Challenges
In the early 1900s, the Bishop of Exeter thought about closing St Pancras Church. He considered joining it with another church. However, during the Second World War, many churches were bombed. St Pancras Church stayed open. It welcomed people from those damaged churches. The Victorian pews were later removed from the church.
In the 1930s, a house was built right next to the church. It blocked out one of the church's windows. But in 1969, this house was removed. This happened because a new shopping center was being built around the church. The church itself is a bit lower than the ground around it.
Beautiful Stained Glass
The church has a beautiful stained glass window. It is in the east part of the church. This window was made by Percy Bacon & Brothers. It was put in place in 1895. The window shows three important figures. It shows Pancras of Rome, who the church is named after. It also shows The Crucifixion of Jesus. The third figure is St. Boniface.
Why It's a Listed Building
In 1953, English Heritage gave the church a special status. It became a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historical site. St Pancras Church got this status for a good reason. It is a great example of a small medieval church in a city. It has kept many of its original parts and features from the Middle Ages.
