A Small Pilgrim Place – St Pancras Exeter

Right in the heart of Exeter resides the tiny church of St Pancras - a place of sanctuary amidst the noise and bustle of the Guildhall Shopping Centre.

St Pancras Church, one of six churches in the Parish of Central Exeter, is situated within the old ‘British quarter’ of the city and stands on one of the most ancient Christian sites in Britain. The dedication to St Pancras is an early one: perhaps to the teenage boy martyred by the Roman emperor Diocletian in 304, or another saint of the same name, an earlier missionary bishop martyred in Sicily. It was apparently a popular dedication in the West Country; there are another five in Devon, of which the best known is that at Widecombe-in-the-Moor.

St Pancras is loved by many as a centre of stillness and sacredness, the holy in the midst of the noise and bustle of a city centre.

This small church, with a 12th century font and a Jacobean pulpit (images right), possesses an unmistakable atmosphere of being a place “where prayer has been valid” for many centuries. It is loved by many as a centre of stillness and sacredness, the holy in the midst of the noise and bustle of a city centre. As well as the regular services of Holy Communion and weekly times of prayer and meditation held there, its quiet presence welcomes the visitor of any faith or none.

You are warmly invited to visit from Monday to Friday, between 10am and 4pm. If you’re walking St Boniface Way and are looking to add one more stop to your pilgrimage, why not drop in after visiting the Cathedral? Follow the directions below to find your way to St Pancras.

Click below for a more comprehensive history of St Pancras Church.

Click below for a prayer pilgrimage around the six churches of the Parish of Central Exeter.


St Pancras is a member of the Small Pilgrim Places Network, a group of exceptionally unique spaces across the country designated as places for prayer, meditation, hospitality and a sense of stillness. Featuring gardens, wells, labyrinths and green spaces as well as churches and chapels, all people of all backgrounds are invited to journey to these Small Pilgrim Places and find true rest from the daily rhythms of life.

Click below to discover more Small Pilgrim Places in Devon, including some of our churches along The Archangel’s Way.

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