St. Matthew's - Lee
St. Matthew's - Lee
St. Matthew’s Anglican Church is part of the Coast and 'Combe Mission Community together with the churches of St. Sabinus’ Woolacombe and St. Mary’s Mortehoe.
The parish of Lee is the smallest of the three, with less than 200 people living in Lincombe (up the hill), Lee (the lower part, winding down to the sea at Lee Bay) and a number of outlying farms and houses. The parish is served by the church of St. Matthew and St. Wardrede, dating from 1835 - a little gem, seating 70 at a push, with Victorian wall-stencils, Jacobean carved oak woodwork (taken from the old Manor House) and a musicians' gallery.
St. Matthew's Church Interior
St. Wardrede is an obscure figure, possibly a Celtic saint who came here to preach the Gospel as far back as the 6th century. A medieval chapel bearing his name stood on the site of the present Chapel Cottage, and, until World War II, the craft shop and gallery beside the church was St. Wardrede's Church School. The church has very good links with the fine village hall which is opposite the church. As well as a car park at the sea front, there is a large car park by the village hall.
The church (normally known just as St. Matthew's) is open daily from Easter to the end of October. Our regular Sunday service is Holy Communion, starting at 8.45 am, with a more informal Morning Worship on the second Sunday of each month starting at 10.00am. Visitors are assured of a warm welcome to our worship.
Four times a year we hold special services which involve a wide cross-section of the village community. These are Mothering Sunday, Easter Sunday, Harvest Festival, and our Christmas services. Since 2020 we have also held a service on the beach on Sea Sunday. St. Matthew's people look forward to your visit!
With some short but quite steep steps from the road, there is some difficulty of access. Public toilets are located on the path leading to the sea. Though not specifically designed for disabled use, they are generally manageable for those with disabilities.
A reminder of our pattern of services:
Note that it is wise to check with the calendar on the right hand side of this screen (or lower down if viewed on a phone) for more information as there may be occasional changes that will not be shown below.
- 2nd Sunday: 10.00am Morning Worship
- Other Sundays: 8.45am Holy Communion