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The Great Britain Guide

Historic churches · South West England

St Nectan's Church, Welcombe

Free admission

St Nectan's Church, Welcombe — church in Welcombe, Devon, England, UK.

St Nectan's Church, Welcombe, historic churches in Devon

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
30 min–1 h
  • Free entry

About

St Nectan's Church, Welcombe is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Heritage designation: Grade II* listed building. Affiliated with Anglicanism. Named after Nectan of Hartland. Wikidata describes it as: "church in Welcombe, Devon, England, UK". Coordinates: 50.9381°, -4.5233°.

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Heritage listing

St Nectan's Church is the parish church of Welcombe, on the border of Devon and Cornwall. W. G. Hoskins writes "St Nectan's Chapel was one of the many medieval chapels in the vast parish of Hartland. It lies in unspoiled country, altogether Cornish in appearance and feeling, with views down the combes to the Atlantic. Welcombe was raised to parochial status in 1508, when the church was enlarged by the addition of the north and south transepts. The square-headed screen (early 14th century) is of unique interest. It is, except for its cornice (which is later and much resembles that at Hartland) by far the earliest remaining screen in Devon. The lectern is Jacobean and the pulpit restored Tudor." The church was 'restored' in 1883-84 and a vestry added in 1911.

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.

Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: Marsland to Clovelly Coast SSSI
  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: North Devon

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

St Nectan's Church is the parish church of Welcombe, on the border of Devon and Cornwall. W. G. Hoskins writes "St Nectan's Chapel was one of the many medieval chapels in the vast parish of Hartland. It lies in unspoiled country, altogether Cornish in appearance and feeling, with views down the combes to the Atlantic. Welcombe was raised to parochial status in 1508, when the church was enlarged by the addition of the north and south transepts. The square-headed screen (early 14th century) is of unique interest. It is, except for its cornice (which is later and much resembles that at Hartland) by far the earliest remaining screen in Devon. The lectern is Jacobean and the pulpit restored Tudor." The church was 'restored' in 1883-84 and a vestry added in 1911. The tower contains six bells, four cast in 1731. According to Nikolaus Pevsner the building is early medieval, including the low western tower. The pulpit has narrow early Renaissance panels. There is a holy well near the church.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Coordinates
50.9381, -4.5233
County
Devon
District
Torridge
Parish
Welcombe
Postcode
EX39 6HF
Parliamentary constituency
Torridge and Tavistock
Official site
www.welcombe.net

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is St Nectan's Church, Welcombe?
St Nectan's Church, Welcombe is in Devon, South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode EX39 6HF), in the parish of Welcombe.
Is St Nectan's Church, Welcombe a listed building?
St Nectan's Church, Welcombe is officially recognised as Grade II* listed building listed.
Is St Nectan's Church, Welcombe a protected site?
Yes — St Nectan's Church, Welcombe is part of the Marsland to Clovelly Coast SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the North Devon National Landscape (AONB).
Is St Nectan's Church, Welcombe free to visit?
Yes, St Nectan's Church, Welcombe is free to enter.
How do I get to St Nectan's Church, Welcombe?
Drivers can navigate to postcode EX39 6HF. It sits within the Torridge and Tavistock parliamentary constituency.