About the Friends
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In common with many English parishes, Little Torrington has an attractive and ancient church at its core. It has formed a landmark in the parish for the past seven centuries, and reflects the history of our settlement.
Again – in common with many Devon churches - its structure was designed to accommodate congregations at the high-water-mark of rural population in the mid 19th century. 150 years later, the Electoral Roll has shrunk to a fraction of its former numbers, whilst the costs of maintenance and upkeep of such buildings has spiralled. |
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The Friends of St. Giles Little Torrington, is a registered charity established in 2010.
Formal membership is by subscription, and is open to church-goers and non church-goers alike, whilst members are drawn from both within the village and parish of Little Torrington, and further afield.
The object of the Friends, is to help preserve the physical structure of the ancient church of St.Giles, to disseminate information about its past, current and future role in the community, and to promote the interests of this historic building.
The Friends aim to achieve these objectives in a number of ways.
At a practical level, the Friends have organised working parties, to undertake some of the lesser tasks which are within the scope of volunteer labour.
Examples include a regular group to ensure that the interior of the church is cleaned – which also provides a useful opportunity to note any serious deterioration of the internal fabric.
Outside, the churchyard has benefited from the efforts of a periodic working group whose tasks have included the clearance of fast-growing vegetation on trees, tombs and lower walls, as well as keeping surface drainage clear.
Beyond this, the Friends have taken an active role in raising money to support future preservation work on the building. This has taken a number of forms, with the most visible being the organisation of a number of fund-raising concerts, talks and other events. These have attracted a wide audience drawn from both within the Friends’ membership, as well as the wider public. During the past twelve months, we have hosted a talk on the history of North Devon Pottery, by renowned local potter Harry Juniper, as well as concerts and a woodland walk.
Reflecting the Friends interest in the preservation of the church fabric, we were able to arrange for Dr. David Keep, from the Devon Historic Churches Trust to address our Annual General Meeting, and give a talk on historic places of worship in Devon, and their conservation.
Formal membership is by subscription, and is open to church-goers and non church-goers alike, whilst members are drawn from both within the village and parish of Little Torrington, and further afield.
The object of the Friends, is to help preserve the physical structure of the ancient church of St.Giles, to disseminate information about its past, current and future role in the community, and to promote the interests of this historic building.
The Friends aim to achieve these objectives in a number of ways.
At a practical level, the Friends have organised working parties, to undertake some of the lesser tasks which are within the scope of volunteer labour.
Examples include a regular group to ensure that the interior of the church is cleaned – which also provides a useful opportunity to note any serious deterioration of the internal fabric.
Outside, the churchyard has benefited from the efforts of a periodic working group whose tasks have included the clearance of fast-growing vegetation on trees, tombs and lower walls, as well as keeping surface drainage clear.
Beyond this, the Friends have taken an active role in raising money to support future preservation work on the building. This has taken a number of forms, with the most visible being the organisation of a number of fund-raising concerts, talks and other events. These have attracted a wide audience drawn from both within the Friends’ membership, as well as the wider public. During the past twelve months, we have hosted a talk on the history of North Devon Pottery, by renowned local potter Harry Juniper, as well as concerts and a woodland walk.
Reflecting the Friends interest in the preservation of the church fabric, we were able to arrange for Dr. David Keep, from the Devon Historic Churches Trust to address our Annual General Meeting, and give a talk on historic places of worship in Devon, and their conservation.