Churches of the British Isles

A new burial ground was consecrated on 29 September 1876. The  vestry and belfry were added by Butterfield between 1879-1883 (he was working on the restoration of Ottery St Mary Church when he was first contacted by Coleridge). Coleridge went on to have a parsonage and school built for the village, both to designs by Butterfield. Alfington gained its own parish in 1882, prompting Coleridge's son to hand over the church to the ecclesiastical commissioners.

It was Grade II listed in 1952. It is built in an Early English style using roughcast rendered brick. The clay tile roof features a bell cote. The building is described as being a 'relatively early' work by Butterfield, 'modest' when compared to his more elaborate designs from the same period such as All Saints Church in London, and certainly so when compared to Ottery St Mary Church. The exterior is considered 'unusual in its austerity and singular treatment of the belfry'.

St Andrew's Church, Feniton, is on the eastern flank of Church Lane at the far east edge of the village. The church was built of local stone and flint rubble, with its earliest phase being Norman. It was rebuilt in more than one phase in the fifteenth century and then again in 1877, aside for the small north transept. At the time of Domesday Book in 1086, the manor was held by Count Robert of Mortian and Drogo de Montacute. The Malherbe family were lords in 1146-1556.

The church consists of a nave and chancel, a two-stage west tower with north side semi-hexagonal stair turret and a ring of six bells, a north transept, a nineteenth century vestry, and a porch which is built into the angle formed by the tower joining the full-length south aisle. The latter includes the Patteson Melanesian Chapel in memory of John Coleridge Patteson, missionary and first bishop of Melonesia (Oceania) who was killed by natives on 20 September 1871.

Feniton Centenary Chapel (Congregational) is on the west side of Colestocks Road, seventy metres or so north of the level crossing. Information about it is confused with the Fenny Bridges chapel (see links). It seems to have opened in 1839, being shown on the OS 25-inch map of 1892-1914 as Union Chapel. Today it is labelled as Feniton Chapel, but is also mistakenly referred to as Wesley Chapel. A local historical group has been working to restore it since 2011.

Photos on this page kindly contributed by John Reeves, Church Crawler, Fiona Moate, JMC4 - Church Explorer (two), and Huw Thomas, all via the 'History Files: Churches of the British Isles' Flickr group. Additional information from The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Consecration of Alfington Church, 6 October 1882.