Community effort underway to turn disused Torridge parish church into education hub

A Torridge community which wants to convert its redundant parish church into an education hub has been getting its hands dirty to spruce up the grounds.

The team of 30 which involved Devon County Council’s new cabinet member for rural affairs and the councillor for Torrington Rural, Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, armed themselves with shovels, trowels and hedge trimmers for a maintenance ‘fun day’ at St Petroc’s in Petrockstowe.

Church authorities will meet in October to decide what to do with St Petroc’s, after giving the community time to come up with a viability plan.

Above: One of the community team working at St Petroc's Church. Credit: Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin

The Grade II* listed church closed for worship in 2023 after it fell into disrepair and the congregation dwindled. Unless a long term solution can be found for the structure, it could be sold.

Cllr Cottle-Hunkin said help was being given by the economy team at Devon County Council to make sure an application for a £15,000 grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund was ‘the best it could be’.

The grant will pay for a viability study which the community hopes will prove a need for an education hub which will train people in traditional and heritage skills that could lead to well paid jobs and encourage young people to stay in the area.

Local heritage advisor Emily Wapshott said it was a ‘truly inspiring’ to see the community come together to work on the grounds.

“I think it speaks to the dedication and determination of this small rural village to find a meaningful way forward for their church,” she said.