Welcome to Feniton church
St Andrew’s church in Feniton is a small rural church. Tucked away at the end of Church Lane we are small but have a big heart. We have two services of Communion each month an early morning worship (lay led) on one Sunday and a Story time service for toddlers to school age children on the first Sunday of each month. Where there is a fifth Sunday we join with Escot and Payhembury worshippers at Escot Church. Our average attendance for Communion is 25-35, 15-20 for our lay led and 10-13 children at story time. We always join together after our services for refreshments to which all are welcomed. Our parish also contains the church of St Philip and St James, Escot, a ‘chapel of ease’. See the Escot Church page for details.
Location and information
Address
Church of St Andrew
Church Lane
Feniton
EX14 3BY
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Church Officers
Churchwardens (or if vacant the parish priest) can help you with general enquiries about the church, and if you are researching your family history. PCC Secretaries can help with information about the work of the Parochial Church Council and any correspondence should be directed to them. PCC treasurers deal with the finances of the church and are always pleased to discuss giving to the church or making a legacy in your will.
Cara Sanders
Churchwarden
Christine Forbes
PCC Secretary
Shan Allen
PCC Treasurer
Contact an officer
Church accessibility
As a Mission Community we are very aware that our ancient buildings are not always the most accessible. Where possible we have made changes to make them more user-friendly but there are some limitations that we are not able to work round.
Car park
Toilet
Churchyard wheelchair friendly
Church wheelchair friendly
Hearing loop
Church features
All of our churches are unique many date back many hundreds of years. Each building tells a story and highlighted below are some of the features that are especially noteworthy.
Late 15C oak rood screen
Patteson memorial
Melanesia Chapel
History
The church itself dates back to the 13th century and the first rector’s name is recorded but not the dates, however the second recorded rector, Robert de Polammesforde, is dated from 1263 – 64.
Built of a variety of at least six types of stone the church was probably plastered and lime washed.
Very little of the 13th century church remains; nearly all that can now be seen is 15th century. As in the case of most small Norman churches the original building was without an aisle.
In the recent past, there have been three interior restorations, one in 1836 and a major one in 1877. The latest interior work was in 2010 following a flood in 2008. We also have a Chapel dedicated to Bishop John Coleridge Patteson who lived at Feniton Court and left the village and travelled to the Solomon Islands as as missionary. He was sadly murdered in 1871 on the Island of Nukapu. His father is also remembered here as a judge and there is a beautiful window dedicated to him in 1861.We have a Transi Tomb believed to be William Malherbe Lord of the manor in the 1400s, there are few of these examples in our churches. Our kneelers were made by the people of the village. The lych gate commemorates those who died in WW1.
For a more detailed history please visit the Historic England page.
