Another shot taken by Lucy on her visit to Exeter last weekend, and another interesting church.
St Martin's Church is a thousand-year-old church in the heart of modern Exeter, and is located in a very constricted site.
St Martin's props up the black-and-white building of Mol's Coffee House on a corner of Exeter's historic Cathedral Close. It is one of the oldest buildings in the city, consecrated a year before the Norman Conquest, and was once one of six churches clustered in the cathedral's shadow.
It is the most important and complete church in the centre of Exeter, having escaped both Victorian refurnishing and the Second World War bombing that severely damaged many other Exeter churches.
The first church on this site was consecrated on 6 July 1065 by Bishop Leofric, the same bishop who founded the cathedral in Exeter. Its tiny parish - smaller than the size of a football pitch - served the workers and traders who crowded into the three and four-storey houses in the surrounding streets.
The roughcast exterior of red volcanic stone with bright, white Beer stone windows makes it look a little bit like a fancy gingerbread house. Inside, it is simple and full of light.
These notes are from the Churches Conservation Trust website, who now look after this beautiful little church.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated. Lucy will be thrilled when she sees your comments.
It is remarkable to think this church has been used for worship for almost 1000 years. Many of our modern buildings won't last even a small fraction of that time.
Ian
July 18th, 2024
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Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated. Lucy will be thrilled when she sees your comments.
It is remarkable to think this church has been used for worship for almost 1000 years. Many of our modern buildings won't last even a small fraction of that time.
Ian