Church of the Week
Ilfracombe, Devon
St Philip and St James in Ilfracombe, Devon, our Church of the Week, is vulnerable to storms, rain and sea spray due to its seafront location looking out on Ilfracombe harbour. Built in 1856 by prestigious Gothic Revival architect John Hayward, the church – known locally as Pip & Jim’s – has stunning stained glass and a delicately carved reredos. In December 2024, Storm Darragh battered the church, making a hole in the spire and leaving rainwater running inside. Falling stonework and plaster meant that the church had to stop using the west side of the building, including the tea-making facilities there. Last year, we awarded a grant to Pip & Jim’s towards their West Wall Revive Project, a plan to not only make the church watertight and usable again, but also to add a servery area and accessibility features to make sure the church is usable for a range of community groups throughout the week, as well its Sunday services. With the project completed earlier this year, the church is ready for the future and they’ve already made a start, opening an improved and accessible café space to welcome visitors, running history workshops for local schools and growing their team of volunteers.
View Ilfracombe St Philip & St James
