On This Day in Wembury — 26 December 1885
The journal Church in the West devoted a long feature to Wembury Church, then undergoing restoration under the patronage of Mr. Cory of Langdon Court. Standing boldly on the cliff opposite the Mewstone, the church was described as a sentinel of the Sound, more a beacon for mariners than a parish convenience, its position echoing those of Revelstoke and Rame. The writer traced its unusual dedication to St Werburgh, daughter of King Wulfhere of Mercia, whose relics were once richly enshrined at Hanbury before being scattered at the Reformation.
Much of the present fabric dated from the 15th century, though the north transept was two centuries older, part of an earlier cruciform structure. Restoration revealed that the ancient timbers of the transept roof were still sound, while the decayed nave roof was being replaced with new oak carved in sympathetic style. Although medieval screens and bench ends had disappeared within living memory, the architects Hine and Odgers of Plymouth aimed to reinstate the church’s dignity with restrained, historically faithful oak work.
The article also noted the church’s monuments to the Hele, Calmady, and Lockyer families, and reminded readers that Walter Britte — mathematician, astronomer, and follower of Wycliffe — was born in Wembury. The reopening was expected the following summer, with the Bishop of Exeter to preside.
Reflection:
This account shows how Wembury Church has been treasured not only as a place of worship but as a landmark of heritage, identity, and continuity. By the late 19th century, Victorians were keen to restore and even “improve” medieval buildings, a process that sometimes erased original features but often saved them from collapse. Linking St Werburgh’s dedication to Mercian history, and recalling figures like Walter Britte, the piece reveals how Wembury was positioned within both national religious history and local pride.
Source: Church in the West, 26 December 1885.
