The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Crediton, England

Crediton houses the National Shrine of St Boniface, the great Anglo-Saxon missionary born here in 680 who became patron saint of Germany and Devon.

Crediton, a peaceful market town nestled in the rolling hills of Mid-Devon, is the birthplace of one of Christianity's greatest missionaries—St Boniface, the Apostle of the Germans. This small English town gave the world a saint whose courageous evangelisation shaped the spiritual landscape of central Europe, and today pilgrims journey here to honour his memory at England's National Shrine of St Boniface. Around the year 680, a boy named Wynfrith was born in what is now the Tolleys area of Crediton, into a devout Saxon family. From earliest childhood, he felt drawn to the monastic life, and despite his father's preference for a secular career, young Wynfrith entered the monastery at Exeter, later continuing his studies at Nursling near Southampton. There he would compose the first Latin grammar ever written in England, become a priest at thirty, and feel an irresistible call to bring the Gospel to the pagan Germanic tribes across the sea. In 718, Pope Gregory II commissioned Wynfrith as a missionary and gave him a new name: Boniface, meaning "one who does good." What followed were thirty-six years of missionary labour under the most difficult conditions. Boniface famously struck at the heart of pagan superstition by felling the sacred Oak of Thor at Geismar—and when the thunder god failed to strike him down, thousands converted. He established monasteries, founded dioceses, became Archbishop of Mainz, and is credited by tradition with creating the first Christmas tree. On 5 June 754, at the age of eighty, Boniface was martyred by pagan bandits near Dokkum in Frisia while preparing to confirm new converts, holding a Gospel book above his head as final protection. Today, Crediton honours its famous son with a heritage trail linking sites associated with his life, a magnificent medieval parish church, and the National Shrine housed in the Catholic church on Park Road. Whether you're a devout pilgrim tracing Boniface's footsteps or simply a curious visitor exploring Devon's spiritual heritage, Crediton offers a moving encounter with a saint whose influence stretches from this quiet English valley to the great cathedrals of Germany.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

The story of St Boniface begins in Crediton during the late seventh century, a time when the Christian faith had only recently been planted in the heart of Anglo-Saxon England. Wynfrith—as he was baptised—grew up in a landscape of rolling Devon hills, where the newly established monasteries were centres of learning and devotion. Against his father's wishes, the boy dedicated himself to God at an early age, entering the monastery at Exeter and later moving to Nursling in Hampshire, where he flourished as a scholar and teacher. Ordered priest at the age of thirty, Wynfrith could have enjoyed a comfortable ecclesiastical career in England, but he felt called to something far more dangerous. In 716, he made his first missionary journey to Frisia (the modern Netherlands), only to be thwarted by political unrest. Undeterred, he travelled to Rome in 718, where Pope Gregory II was so impressed by this learned and fervent Englishman that he commissioned him to evangelise the Germanic tribes east of the Rhine and gave him the name Boniface. For the next decade, Boniface laboured in Hesse, Thuringia, and Bavaria, establishing churches and monasteries, ordaining priests, and confronting pagan practices head-on. The most famous episode came at Geismar in Hesse, where the locals worshipped an ancient oak tree sacred to the god Thor. Boniface took an axe and began to fell the tree, declaring that if Thor were truly powerful, he would strike him dead. When the oak crashed to the ground and Boniface stood unharmed, many pagans converted on the spot. From the timber, Boniface built a chapel dedicated to St Peter. In 722, Boniface was consecrated bishop, and in 732, Pope Gregory III raised him to archbishop, with jurisdiction over the emerging Church in Germany. He founded the great abbey of Fulda in 744, which would become one of the most important centres of learning in medieval Europe. His work extended to reforming the Frankish Church, presiding over councils, and establishing the diocesan structure that still shapes German Catholicism today. English monks and nuns, including his learned kinswoman St Lioba, crossed the sea to assist him. Yet Boniface never forgot his earliest calling to the pagan Frisians. At the age of eighty, having resigned as Archbishop of Mainz, he returned to Frisia for one final mission. On the morning of 5 June 754, while waiting near Dokkum to confirm a group of newly baptised converts, his camp was attacked by pagan bandits. Boniface forbade his companions to take up arms and met his death peacefully, holding his Gospel book above his head. The book, still preserved in Fulda Cathedral, bears sword cuts from that final moment. Boniface's body was taken first to Utrecht, then to Mainz, and finally to Fulda, where it rests to this day in a magnificent shrine beneath the high altar of Fulda Cathedral. In 2019, Devon County Council officially recognised St Boniface as the patron saint of Devon, with the enthusiastic support of both the Anglican Diocese of Exeter and the Catholic Diocese of Plymouth—an ecumenical tribute to one of England's greatest saints.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Crediton

Crediton preserves multiple sites connected to St Boniface, all within easy walking distance of each other. The town centre offers a pleasant journey through history, from the traditional birthplace of the saint to the medieval parish church that stands on the site of Devon's first cathedral, and on to the modern Catholic church housing the National Shrine. A heritage trail with colourful stained-glass panels guides pilgrims through the key locations.

St Boniface Catholic Church and National Shrine

Local Name: The National Shrine of St Boniface Address: Park Road, Crediton, Devon EX17 3ES GPS Coordinates: 50.7865, -3.6511 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Website: catholicchurchcrediton.org Dedication: St Boniface Historical Note: Catholics first established a mission in Crediton in 1914, worshipping in a small chapel on Bowden Hill. In 1966, a site on Park Road was purchased for a new church, which was built in 1969 specifically to house the National Shrine of St Boniface. The foundation stone, placed at the entrance to the building, was brought from the tomb of the saint in Fulda Cathedral, Germany—a tangible link between Devon and the place of Boniface's burial. Spiritual Importance: The shrine contains precious relics of St Boniface, including a bone believed to be from his finger, given to the shrine by the Bishop of Fulda. A bas-relief by sculptor Kenneth Carter depicts the famous felling of Thor's Oak, and paintings by Timothy Moore illustrate key moments from the saint's life. German pilgrims frequently travel overland to Crediton to honour their patron saint in his birthplace. The church is open on Wednesdays and Sundays before and after Mass, or by appointment for pilgrims who contact the parish in advance.

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Church of the Holy Cross

Local Name: Crediton Parish Church / The Collegiate Church Address: Church Lane, Crediton, Devon EX17 2AH GPS Coordinates: 50.7872, -3.6497 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Website: creditonparishchurch.org.uk Dedication: The Holy Cross and the Mother of Him who Hung Thereon Historical Note: This magnificent church stands on one of the most ancient Christian sites in Devon. Shortly after 739, King Aethelheard of the West Saxons granted land here for a monastery, possibly inspired by Crediton's connection to Boniface. Around 909, Crediton was chosen as the site for the first cathedral of Devon and Cornwall, and a wooden cathedral was built here. Ten bishops ruled from Crediton until 1050, when the see was transferred to Exeter. The present building, a fine example of Perpendicular Gothic architecture, dates largely from the early fifteenth century, though the tower retains Norman fabric from the 1130s. The church escaped destruction at the Reformation when the townspeople purchased it for £200. Spiritual Importance: Holy Cross contains numerous memorials to St Boniface. The great east window above the high altar depicts scenes from his life, including his birth in Crediton and his missionary journeys. At the west end of the south aisle, a striking modern wooden sculpture by Polish artist Witold Kawalec shows the young Wynfrith before he became Boniface—entitled "Wynfrith – St Boniface To Be." The church is Grade I listed and serves as the starting point for the St Boniface Pilgrim Way. Open daily from 9am to 4:30pm.

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St Boniface Statue, Newcombes Meadow

Address: Newcombes Meadow, Crediton, Devon EX17 2BS GPS Coordinates: 50.7876, -3.6478 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Historical Note: This bronze statue was unveiled by Princess Margaret on 24 July 1960 and dedicated by the Bishop of Crediton, Wilfrid Westall. It depicts a relaxed, contemplative St Boniface gazing across the park's grassy lawns and bowling green, Bible in hand. Spiritual Importance: The statue serves as a focus for community celebrations on St Boniface's feast day, when processions wind through the town from the parish church to this spot. It offers pilgrims a peaceful place for reflection in the heart of Crediton.

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Wynfrith's Well

Address: Newcombes Meadow, Crediton (near the St Boniface statue) GPS Coordinates: 50.7878, -3.6475 Historical Note: This small stone structure, a Grade II listed building, marks a traditional holy well associated with St Boniface (Wynfrith). The granite lintel bears the inscription: "Traditional Well of Winfrith AD 680." The structure appears to have been rebuilt in the twentieth century. Spiritual Importance: Holy wells have long been places of prayer and healing in the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Christian tradition. Though the well is currently enclosed and not accessible, it represents the ancient devotion to St Boniface in his native town.

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Birthplace of St Boniface

Address: Corner of Tolleys and Downeshead Lane, Crediton, Devon GPS Coordinates: 50.7883, -3.6451 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Historical Note: The area known as Tolleys is regarded as the traditional birthplace of St Boniface. A blue plaque on the corner of Tolleys and Downeshead Lane marks the spot where, around 680, the future Apostle of the Germans came into the world. Spiritual Importance: Standing at this unassuming street corner, pilgrims can reflect on how a child born in this quiet Devon village would grow to reshape the spiritual map of Europe. It is a five-minute walk from the main pilgrimage sites.

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

5 June – Feast of St Boniface St Boniface Catholic Church and Church of the Holy Cross. On the Sunday nearest to 5 June, Crediton holds its annual St Boniface Day celebrations. A joint ecumenical service at the parish church, led by representatives of the Anglican and Catholic communities, is followed by a procession through the town to the statue in Newcombes Meadow, where prayers are offered. A second service takes place at the Catholic National Shrine. The day draws pilgrims from across England and Germany. Early December – Christmas Tree Festival Church of the Holy Cross. Each December, Holy Cross hosts a Christmas Tree Festival celebrating the tradition that credits St Boniface with creating the first Christmas tree. According to legend, after felling Thor's Oak, Boniface pointed to a young fir tree growing nearby and declared it a symbol of Christ, whose triangular shape pointed to heaven. The festival fills the church with beautifully decorated trees.

🛏️ Where to Stay

The Lamb Inn ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: The Square, Sandford, Crediton, Devon EX17 4LW 🌐 Website: lambinnsandford.co.uk 🔗 Booking: Book on Booking.com A 16th-century former coaching inn in the nearby village of Sandford, just two miles from Crediton. Seven individually styled ensuite rooms with contemporary comforts including power showers and king-size beds. The award-winning pub serves excellent food by an open fire. Dog-friendly. Hillside Bed and Breakfast 📍 Address: Rose and Crown Hill, Sandford, Crediton, Devon EX17 4NH 🌐 Website: creditonbandb.co.uk A family-run bed and breakfast in a characterful Devon cottage, offering well-appointed rooms with ensuite bathrooms, garden views, and hearty breakfasts. Two minutes from Crediton with good transport links. Family suite available. The New Inn Coleford 📍 Address: Coleford, Crediton, Devon EX17 5BZ A 13th-century thatched pub offering 4-star B&B accommodation, serving West Country food and award-winning cask ales. Character rooms with beamed ceilings capture the spirit of historic Devon.

🚗 Getting There

By Air: The nearest international airport is Exeter Airport (EXT), approximately 10 miles southeast of Crediton, with connections to UK and European destinations. From the airport, Crediton is accessible by taxi (approximately 25 minutes) or by bus via Exeter city centre. By Train: Crediton has its own railway station on the Tarka Line (Exeter to Barnstaple). Frequent services run from Exeter St Davids, with the journey taking approximately 20 minutes. From London Paddington, travel to Exeter St Davids (approximately 2 hours) and change for Crediton. By Bus: Stagecoach bus services connect Crediton with Exeter (approximately 30 minutes) and other Devon towns. The bus station is centrally located near the High Street. By Car: Crediton lies on the A377, approximately 8 miles northwest of Exeter. From the M5 motorway, exit at Junction 31 and follow signs for Crediton via the A377. Parking is available in the town centre car parks. On Foot: The St Boniface Pilgrim Way offers a walking route connecting sites associated with the saint. Crediton is also on the King Arthur Way long-distance footpath.

📚 Further Reading

Books:

  • Willibald, The Life of Saint Boniface – The earliest biography, written by a contemporary disciple shortly after the saint's death. Available in English translation online at the Internet Medieval Sourcebook.
  • C.H. Talbot, The Anglo-Saxon Missionaries in Germany (Sheed & Ward) – Classic collection including Boniface's letters and Willibald's biography.
  • Timothy Reuter (ed.), The Greatest Englishman: Essays on St Boniface and the Church at Crediton (Paternoster Press) – Scholarly essays exploring Boniface's life and his Devon origins.

Articles & Online Resources:

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✨ Inspiration

"Let us stand fast in what is right, and prepare our souls for trial. Let us wait upon God's strengthening aid and say to him: 'O Lord, you have been our refuge in all generations.' Let us trust in him who has placed this burden upon us. What we ourselves cannot bear let us bear with the help of Christ."

— St Boniface, from a letter to his companions, c. 746