St Petrock's Church, Parracombe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Petrock's Church |
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| Location | Parracombe, Devon, England |
| Built | 13th century |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Church of St. Petrocks | |
| Designated | 25 February 1965 |
| Reference no. | 1325740 |
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St Petrock's Church is a very old church in Parracombe, Devon, England. It was built a long time ago, in the 13th century. This means it's over 700 years old!
The church is a special building because it's a Grade I listed building. This means it's considered very important and needs to be protected. Today, it's looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. This group helps to save old churches that are no longer used for regular services. St Petrock's Church stopped being used for regular services on 25 November 1969. The Trust officially took care of it on 23 June 1971.
Contents
History of St Petrock's Church
The church is named after St Petrock, an important saint. Some parts of the building, like the front part where the altar is (called the chancel), and the bottom of the tower, are from the original 13th-century church. However, much of what you see today was rebuilt in the early 16th century.
Saving the Church from Damage
In 1879, people were worried that the church building was not strong enough. It looked like it might fall apart! But a famous writer and artist named John Ruskin helped to save it. He led protests and even gave £10 to help. Because of these efforts, the old church was preserved. A new church was built for the village further west, so the old one could be kept safe.
Inside the Church
When you go inside St Petrock's Church, you can see many old features.
Special Seating and Pulpit
The church has special seating areas called box pews from the 18th century. These are like small wooden boxes where families used to sit together during services. There's also a pulpit from the Georgian period, which is where the priest would stand to give sermons.
Unique Wooden Screen
You'll also notice a screen with a wooden tympanum above it. A tympanum is a flat, often decorated, area above a doorway or arch. This one is also from the 18th century and adds to the church's unique look.
Images for kids
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The outside of St Petrock's from the southwest
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The inside of St Petrock's from the back of the south aisle
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The inside of St Petrock's from the front of the south aisle. Look for the hat pegs on the wall!
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The inside of St Petrock's from the back of the main area
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The outside of St Petrock's from the southeast
See also
