NON-RELIGIOUS couple get married in converted North Devon church

A NON-RELIGIOUS couple who wanted to enjoy the romance of a traditional church wedding have tied the knot in their dream service.

Sarah and David Wines made their vows at the former church of St Thomas in the hamlet of Travellers' Rest, near Swimbridge, on Saturday.

The stone church, which is now a bed-and-breakfast business, was built in 1866 and was still used as a place of worship until 1970, when it was decommissioned and sold. It was restored in the mid-1970s and adapted to become a home, but retained many original features.

Although the marriage was strictly non-religious, the couple were keen to enjoy the tranquil setting of a bucolic building, surrounded by rolling acres of North Devon countryside.

The new Mrs Wines, 27, who lives in Barnstaple but who is originally from Swimbridge, said: “We have been together for nine years and we were looking for venues in North Devon.

“We wanted somewhere a bit different than the usual hotels that people get married in.

“I always wanted a church wedding but I'm not religious in any way.

“When I saw something that looked like a church, it meant I could have a church wedding without it being religious.

“Swimbridge is where I grew up, so it was quite sentimental to me.

“We went to have a look at the church and it was really quirky and a bit different.”

She added: “I would have felt hugely hypocritical getting married in a church. Churches are the most beautiful buildings, so it's as close as I'm going to get. It's an old-fashioned countryside wedding.”

The B&B is owned and run by Derek and Sue Pope who retired to North Devon from Warwickshire in 2004. Mr Pope, a former police officer, said the building appeared in a list of civil wedding venues after their friends decided to get married there and they had it registered with North Devon Council.

The Pope's friends postponed their wedding, but the venue was still on the council's books when Ms Wearne, who teaches English at Pilton Community College, and Mr Wines, 28, a council highways worker, were looking for a romantic location for their betrothal.

Mr Pope said many local people had been married in St Thomas's church, which was built under the orders of the famous “hunting parson” The Reverend Jack Russell, in the parish of Swimbridge. Saturday's ceremony was the first wedding in the building for more than 38 years.

The “church” still has an altar, a staircase made from wood from pews, Victorian gothic doors, a hand-painted rood screen, leaded windows, and a large stone fireplace.