St Winifred's Church, Branscombe facts for kids
St Winifred's Church is an old and important Church of England church. You can find it in the village of Branscombe in Devon, England.
The church is named after Saint Winifred, who was a Welsh saint. It is one of the oldest and most interesting churches in Devon because of its special design. The church likely started around the year 995. However, we only have records of the church leaders (called vicars) from the 1200s onwards.
History of the Church
There are clues that an even older Saxon church might have been on this same spot. Some stones hidden in the tower staircase have special carvings. These carvings suggest there was a church here in the 900s.
The church faces from west to east, which is a traditional way to build churches. It is built on a flat area that you cannot see from the coast. This hidden spot might have protected the first Saxon church from Viking raiders. Another idea is that the church was built on a place that was already considered holy by people who followed pagan religions. Building there would have shown the power of the new Christian faith. It also would have used the good feelings people already had about the site.
Records show that the church once held a special item: the arm of St Brannoc. But in 933, King Athelstan ordered it to be moved. It was taken to Milton Abbey in Dorset. St Winifred's Church was owned by the monks from Exeter Cathedral.
Inside the Church
The church building has parts that are from the Norman period. Other parts were added later in the Middle Ages. The main tower is in the middle of the church. The side sections, called transepts, are unusual because they are to the west of the tower. They were added later.
The main part of the church, called the nave, is from the Norman times. The transepts were probably built in the mid-1200s. The chancel, which is the area around the altar, is likely from the 1300s. However, the large window at the east end was replaced when Bishop Neville was in charge (from 1458 to 1464).
Some interesting things inside the church include:
- The font, which is a large bowl used for baptisms, is from the 1400s.
- The pulpit, where the priest gives sermons, is very special. It has three levels, which is very rare in Devon.
- Other old wooden parts include a screen from the Jacobean period. There is also a west gallery and altar rails from around 1700.
Memorial to Joan Tregarthin
A special stone memorial was put up in the north transept. It remembers a woman named Joan Tregarthin. This happened sometime after she passed away in 1583.
Joan Tregarthin was the daughter of John Tregarthin from Cornwall. She was also an heiress, meaning she inherited land or money. She was first married to John Kelleway. They had fourteen children together. After he died, she married John Wadham. He was from Merryfield and Edge. John Wadham was the son of Sir Nicholas I Wadham. Joan and John Wadham had six children. One of their children was Nicholas II Wadham. He later helped to start Wadham College, Oxford, a famous university college. After her second husband died in 1578, Joan moved to her home at Edge.
The memorial has been neglected over time and painted over many times. Not much of its original color remains. This makes it hard to see the family crests (armorials). However, the carved pictures are still very clear and well-made.
The memorial shows small kneeling figures of Joan twice. She is shown kneeling behind each of her husbands. A local historian, Ronald Branscombe, said this "double appearance" is thought to be unique. It is the only known example in British memorial art from that time.
Below the figures, there is a large slate tablet with writing on it. It says:
- Here lies buried the body of a good and old gentlewoman. She came from the old house of Plantagenet family, who were once from Cornwall. Her name was JOAN. She was one of the daughters and heirs of John Tregarthin from Cornwall. She was first married to John Kelleway, who had many children with her. After he died, she married John Wadham of Meryfield in Somerset. She also had several children with him. She lived a good and religious life and died at an honorable age, ... (the exact date was never written)... September in the year of Christ 1583.
Images for kids
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Mural monument to Joan Tregarthin
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Heraldic shield from the memorial showing the arms of Wadham and Tregarthin families.
