The Church of St Nectan is the parish church of Hartland, Devon, England. Sometimes referred to as the "Cathedral of North Devon", it is located in the hamlet of Stoke, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the town of Hartland. It is dedicated to Saint Nectan.
Saint Nectan was one of many Celtichermits and missionaries associated with early Christian sites in south-west Britain, South Wales and Ireland in the fifth and sixth centuries. A well 100 metres from the church is the reputed site of his hermitage.
The history of the area is obscure; however, the first recorded building here was a collegiate church served by twelve secular canons founded ca. 1050 by Gytha, Countess of Wessex (mother of King Harold). Traditionally the church was founded in thanksgiving for the preservation of her husband's life in a storm at sea; a better tradition associates her husband Godwin, Earl of Wessex and holder of the royal manor of Harton, with the foundation.
Nothing is known of the earliest building nor whether it was rebuilt or enlarged when the collegiate church was replaced by a house of Augustinian regulars at Hartland Abbey in the twelfth century.
The current building, believed to date from 1360, replaced the earlier church on the site, of which only the font still remains and is thought to date from 1170. The 128 ft tower, rising in four stages, claimed to be the highest in Devon, has for centuries been a landmark to sailors at sea. It was built about sixty years after the rest of the church and it contains a peal of six bells cast in nearby Buckland Brewer by John Taylor & Co[1] and last rehung in 1952, weighing practically 3 tons. The arch of the tower, open today, once housed a musicians' gallery where the 'church orchestra' of fiddles, double bass, flute and clarinet played for services.
The magnificent rood screen (the finest in North Devon), dating from 1450, is a massive structure of eleven bays, 45 ft 6 in long, 12 ft 6 in high and 5 ft 10 in wide at the top. Earlier times saw both the organ and seating on top of the screen. Other features of interest include the fine Norman font and the old wagon roofs. The monuments include an elaborate medieval tomb-chest, a small brass of 1610 and a metal-inlaid lid of a churchyard tomb of 1618.[2]
The church contains a set of five windows by the glass painters Caroline Townshend and Joan Howson which depict the history of the parish. A further window by Townshend & Howson is installed at St John's chapel of ease in Hartland Square. The main east window and the tower window are by Christopher Webb. There are at least two windows by Alfred Beer, the south window in the sanctuary and the east window in the chancel chapel; it is possible that the removed but retained glass from the south chancel chapel window is also his.[citation needed]
The whole building is fitted out with a fine if plain set of pews, mostly dating from the 16th-century.[3][4]
The graveyard of St. Nectan's is the burial place of Mary Norton (1903–1992), a children's writer, whose most famous work is The Borrowers.
List of clergyedit
View down the nave showing the wagon-roofThe Norman fontThe pulpit
^Assistant curate 1908–1913. Made a prebendary of Exeter in the 1940s.
^Assistant curate 1950–1954. Later made a Prebendary of Exeter in 1982.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to St Nectan's Church, Hartland, Devon.
Hartland Coast Mission Community
"North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty".
October 28, 2023
nectan, church, hartland, church, nectan, parish, church, hartland, devon, england, sometimes, referred, cathedral, north, devon, located, hamlet, stoke, about, miles, west, town, hartland, dedicated, saint, nectan, parish, church, nectanchurch, nectan50, 9950. The Church of St Nectan is the parish church of Hartland Devon England Sometimes referred to as the Cathedral of North Devon it is located in the hamlet of Stoke about 1 5 miles 2 4 km west of the town of Hartland It is dedicated to Saint Nectan St Nectan s Church HartlandParish Church of St NectanChurch of St Nectan50 59 42 N 4 30 59 W 50 99500 N 4 51639 W 50 99500 4 51639Country United KingdomDenominationChurch of EnglandChurchmanshipBroad ChurchWebsitewww achurchnearyou com hartland st nectan HistoryStatusParish ChurchFounder s Gytha Countess of WessexDedicationSaint NectanArchitectureStyleGothicSpecificationsCapacity600Length137 ftOther dimensionstower height 128 ftMaterialsstone and rubbleAdministrationProvinceCanterburyDioceseExeterArchdeaconryBarnstapleDeaneryHartlandParishHartland Hartland Coast Team ClergyRectorThe Revd Jane Skinner Team RectorCurate s The Revd Jane HayesLaityReader s Andrew Macwilliam and Vera Tooke Contents 1 History 1 1 Notable features 2 List of clergy 3 Services 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory editSaint Nectan was one of many Celtic hermits and missionaries associated with early Christian sites in south west Britain South Wales and Ireland in the fifth and sixth centuries A well 100 metres from the church is the reputed site of his hermitage The history of the area is obscure however the first recorded building here was a collegiate church served by twelve secular canons founded ca 1050 by Gytha Countess of Wessex mother of King Harold Traditionally the church was founded in thanksgiving for the preservation of her husband s life in a storm at sea a better tradition associates her husband Godwin Earl of Wessex and holder of the royal manor of Harton with the foundation Nothing is known of the earliest building nor whether it was rebuilt or enlarged when the collegiate church was replaced by a house of Augustinian regulars at Hartland Abbey in the twelfth century The current building believed to date from 1360 replaced the earlier church on the site of which only the font still remains and is thought to date from 1170 The 128 ft tower rising in four stages claimed to be the highest in Devon has for centuries been a landmark to sailors at sea It was built about sixty years after the rest of the church and it contains a peal of six bells cast in nearby Buckland Brewer by John Taylor amp Co 1 and last rehung in 1952 weighing practically 3 tons The arch of the tower open today once housed a musicians gallery where the church orchestra of fiddles double bass flute and clarinet played for services Notable features edit nbsp The 15th century rood screenThe magnificent rood screen the finest in North Devon dating from 1450 is a massive structure of eleven bays 45 ft 6 in long 12 ft 6 in high and 5 ft 10 in wide at the top Earlier times saw both the organ and seating on top of the screen Other features of interest include the fine Norman font and the old wagon roofs The monuments include an elaborate medieval tomb chest a small brass of 1610 and a metal inlaid lid of a churchyard tomb of 1618 2 The church contains a set of five windows by the glass painters Caroline Townshend and Joan Howson which depict the history of the parish A further window by Townshend amp Howson is installed at St John s chapel of ease in Hartland Square The main east window and the tower window are by Christopher Webb There are at least two windows by Alfred Beer the south window in the sanctuary and the east window in the chancel chapel it is possible that the removed but retained glass from the south chancel chapel window is also his citation needed The whole building is fitted out with a fine if plain set of pews mostly dating from the 16th century 3 4 The graveyard of St Nectan s is the burial place of Mary Norton 1903 1992 a children s writer whose most famous work is The Borrowers List of clergy edit nbsp View down the nave showing the wagon roof nbsp The Norman font nbsp The pulpitPeriod Perpetual Curate1543 1547 The Reverend John Husband1598 1627 The Reverend Thomas Dove1627 1646 The Reverend William Churton MA1646 1676 The Reverend George Mountjoy BA1677 1705 The Reverend William Orchard1708 1726 The Reverend Robert Forster1726 1739 The Reverend Canon James Harcourt DD 5 1739 1752 The Reverend Kenrick Prescot DD1752 1755 The Reverend William Morris1755 1796 The Reverend Francis Tutte MA1796 1859 The Reverend William Chanter BA1859 1865 The Reverend Thomas How Chope BAPeriod Vicar of Hartland1865 1906 The Reverend Thomas How Chope BA1907 1917 The Reverend Edgar Albert Luff MA1917 1953 The Reverend Prebendary Ivon Lancelot Gregory BD 6 1953 1966 The Reverend Andrew T H Jones MA 7 1966 1977 The Reverend F Harold Lockyear1978 1980 The Reverend Louis M Coulson Priest in Charge1980 1993 The Reverend Louis M CoulsonPeriod Hartland Coast Team Ministry Minister with special responsibility for Hartland 1994 2001 The Reverend David J Ford BD Team Vicar2003 2006 The Reverend Colin Hodgetts BA Associate Minister2006 2007 The Reverend Colin Hodgetts BA Hon Ass Minister2007 2012 The Reverend Shirley Henderson BA Team Vicar2012 2015 The Reverend Shirley Henderson BA Team Rector2016 2018 The Reverend Brenda Jacobs BA Team Rector2018 The Reverend Jane Skinner Team RectorServices editSunday 1st 11 00 United Service 2nd 11 00 Sung Eucharist 3rd 10 00 Breakfast Church all age worship at the Methodist Church 4th 11 00 Sung Eucharist 5th 11 00 Team Service at varying locationsWeekdays in the Church Rooms 08 00 Morning Prayer 11 00 Holy Communion Wednesday See also editNorth Devon Coast AONBReferences editWarmington B H 1996 Guide to the Church of St Nectan Manley T ed Hartland Times Two Hundred Tears of the History of John Taylor amp Co 1759 1959 1959 University of Leicester Collection Pevsner N 1952 North Devon Penguin Books Hobbs S J 2004 St Nectan s The Question of a Seat 2011 The Ecclesiologist Also a Canon of Bristol Assistant curate 1908 1913 Made a prebendary of Exeter in the 1940s Assistant curate 1950 1954 Later made a Prebendary of Exeter in 1982 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to St Nectan s Church Hartland Devon Hartland Coast Mission Community North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title St Nectan 27s Church Hartland amp oldid 1179174113, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
