St Luke's, Holy Trinity, and the churchyard
A central part of the Feoffees' role is support for St Luke's parish church, the churchyard, and the ruins and related responsibilities of Holy Trinity.
About the charity
About the Buckfastleigh Feoffees
The Buckfastleigh Feoffees are a historic local charity serving the ancient parish of Buckfastleigh and continuing a long tradition of support for church, community, and local need.
Public name and formal name
Locally, the charity is generally known as the Buckfastleigh Feoffees or the Feoffees of Buckfastleigh. On the Charity Commission register it appears under the formal historic name Churchlands or Parish Lands.
This website uses the familiar local name in its public pages, while also showing the formal registered name and charity number in the governance information.
Area of benefit
The Feoffees serve the ancient parish of Buckfastleigh. Their work is rooted in the town and its parish life, and decisions are made by local trustees with that responsibility in mind.
The charity's work today combines a sense of continuity with practical decision-making about present-day needs, applications, and local priorities.
Historic setting
Holy Trinity and the churchyard
Holy Trinity and its churchyard remain closely connected with the historic responsibilities of the Feoffees. They are also part of the visible landscape and memory of Buckfastleigh.
The church, churchyard, and surrounding setting help show the long continuity of the charity's local role within the parish.
What the charity exists to do
Three broad areas of support
People in need within the parish
The charity may also support people in need within the parish, either directly or through appropriate local charitable activity.
Other purposes that benefit Buckfastleigh
Trustees can also support other worthwhile purposes that bring benefit to the parish, always within the objects of the charity and the funds available.
How the Feoffees work
Trustees meeting regularly to consider local needs
The trustees meet regularly, usually at St Luke's Church, to consider applications, review finances and investments, and decide how the charity's resources should be used. That includes maintaining responsible stewardship of long-term funds while also responding to current needs in the parish.
Recent meetings have included support for Buckfastleigh PCC, Holy Trinity-related costs, the Buckfastleigh Community News Sheet, school leavers' book tokens, Little Lambs, the Valiant Soldier, and other local applications considered by the trustees.
A practical and careful approach
The Feoffees are not simply a grant-giving body in the abstract. Trustees consider applications carefully, often asking for clear figures, a short narrative, and enough information to understand how an award would help.
This helps ensure that support is given thoughtfully, fairly, and in a way that reflects both the purposes of the charity and the realities of the funds available.
A charity with a continuing local role
Although the Feoffees have historic roots, they remain an active working charity rather than a ceremonial one. Their continuing role can be seen in the mix of church support, community funding, and practical local benefit considered at recent meetings.
This website is intended to make that work easier to understand and to provide a simple public point of contact.
Local detail
The Cabell tomb
The Cabell tomb is one of the distinctive features of the Holy Trinity churchyard and forms part of the local history associated with the site.