CREDITON has a fascinating parish church.  

All churches are unique, Crediton’s peculiarly so.  

As you walked through the doors on Saturday, August 26, for the church Heritage Day, a smell of coffee came along with music and chatter.

There was the pop-up shop to browse, music from the Church Choir, Peter Gilks playing the organ or in the afternoon, Beth and Jack Robson entertaining. 

The church bellringers were explaining how the bells worked plus showing visitors how to use handbells, a wonderful chiming carrying across the church every now and then. 

There was brass rubbing to try, a never-ending flow of coffee if needed, a trip up the tower and a visit to the Governor’s Room among everything else on offer. 

Information about the parish church Music Endowment Fund, the Babies and Toddlers Group who meet weekly in the Boniface Centre, the link between the church and Makongeni parish in Thika Diocese, part of the Diocese of Exeter Tripartite link between the Diocese and Thika and The Gulf.

Among information books, visitors could read the Governor’s Founding Charter and even a book about Medieval graffiti.

Crediton branch Mothers’ Union had a stall. It is part of the community in 84 countries around the world. Anne Jerman is Crediton branch Leader. 

A display about the work of the Friends of Crediton Church and future projects on the Friends’ wish list that include a new entrance with disabled access, internal toilets, a cafe and shop, museum, archive and research space plus work to the roof, the stonework, and even solar panels. 

The aim is to to make the building more adaptable for use by the wider community as well as a church.  

Among the many visitors that day were a couple from Ilminster whose hobby is visiting churches so they were delighted to find a bit of a bonus, also some of the people featured in the photo exhibition “This is my story” had called in.  

Records show that only Crediton and Ottery St Mary churches are Peculiarities, except that Crediton was bought for £200 from King Henry VII, shown in a 1547 Charter, at that time Ottery was gifted to the people.  Crediton is now one of 350 major parish churches in the country.

Information about the Mission Community Health Check was available as well.  These checks are part of the Diocese of Exeter’s Next Steps programme with the aim to work at a local level via an online survey, or paper copies are available for those without internet access.

This aims to highlight where Crediton Benefice Mission, the parishes of Crediton and Shobrooke, is flourishing and where some support or thought might be beneficial. 

It uses two separate surveys one for the churches and another for the wider communities, aiming to hold a mirror up to the work that the churches do and the community.

The survey will be open until October 2 and can be completed on line at: https://hop8a5h9big.typeform.com/to/JWUxY0Qm or telephone 01363 772865 to ask for a paper copy.