Inwardleigh – St Petroc’s

Church Services Last Sunday 9.30 Morning Prayer Other Sundays 9.30 Holy Communion

Church Information:

St Petroc’s does its very best to serve this scattered rural area and has succeeded in creating a loving, caring community. We still have a Sunday school and monthly family services and are always looking for new and innovative ways of engaging with those who don’t normally come. High points of the year are the farming festivals and Easter and Christmas, but even between times there is plenty of life in this ancient and beautiful church. If you would like to join us you would be most welcome.

From our churchyard we can look south to the moors and westwards towards our sister parishes. To the north, in the valley, lies the steeple of Hatherleigh. Beyond is the sea, crossed by St Petroc and his fellow missionaries over 1, 500 years ago To the right of the cobbled path approaching the porch is the substantial base of an ancient cross. The raised ground testifies to the antiquity of the site. The oldest structures, the lower courses of the tower and the finely decorated font, are Norman but the shape of our church, as we know it, with the light stone arcade and perpendicular windows, belongs to the fifteenth century. High in the NE window are “our Inwardleigh angels”: two exquisitely worked examples of 14th century stained glass. Above the exterior of the north door is a massive dripstone surmounted by an empty niche once containing a small statue, probably of the Virgin. The east window has an attractive figure, in late Victorian glass, of Our Lord, the Good Shepherd. The church was vigorously “restored” in 1899 but many interesting glazed Barum tiles (c.1650) remain at the foot of the chancel step. There are two piscinas, a priests’ door (c.1718), and the Royal Arms of George III in the north aisle. The lion has a quizzical expression, and would seem to have brothers and sisters in the locality. Our records date back to 1605. A transcript is kept in the vestry. Ken Williams

Safeguarding Inwardleigh   Policy Statement on Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults The PCC of this church fully endorses the “Promoting a Safer Church” Policy of the Church of England Click to access PromotingSaferChurchWeb.pdf

– As members of the PCC we commit our church community to the support, nurture, protection and safeguarding of all, especially the young and vulnerable. We recognise that our work with children, young people and vulnerable adults is the responsibility of the whole church community. – We are fully committed to acting within current legislation, guidance, national frameworks and the Diocesan Safeguarding procedures.3) We will also act in an open transparent and accountable way in working in partnership with the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, Children and Adult Social Care Services, the Police, and other agencies to safeguard children and vulnerable adults. – We welcome staff and volunteers who are recruited in accordance with the Church of England Safer Recruitment Policy and Practice Guidance (2014). We will follow safe recruitment procedure tocarefully select and train all those with any responsibility within the church for children, young people and vulnerable adults, including registration with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This means we will ensure that those who are employed or who volunteer to work with children, young people and vulnerable adults are suitable for the role, that they know what the role entails and that they are supported in carrying it out. – The establishment of safe, caring communities, which provide an environment where there is a culture of ‘informed vigilance’ as to the dangers of abuse. We will seek to challenge any abuse of power, especially by anyone in a position of trust. – We will respond to every complaint made which suggests that a child, young person or vulnerable adult may have been harmed, co-operating with the Police and local authority in any investigation. – We will seek to offer pastoral care and support, including supervision and referral to the proper authorities, to any member of our church community known to have offended against a child, young person or vulnerable adult. – We will seek to support anyone who has suffered abuse and if necessary, help them access appropriate care. – We will care for and minister to any of our church community known to have offended against a child, young person, or vulnerable adult and in conjunction with the Diocese and other specialist agencies draw up a plan to avoid harm to them or anyone else. – We will review this policy annually If anyone has any questions regarding this policy, or has a safeguarding concern of any nature, they should please contact:Team Rector, Rev. Stephen Cook 01837 659297   OR   Church Safeguarding Rep: Janet Trerise 01837 52016