St. John’s Pupils Bury Time Capsule at St Mary’s

A Legacy for the Future

This week, twelve children from St. John’s C of E Primary School in Bridgetown, Totnes, visited St Mary’s Church at the top of the High Street to bury a very special time capsule.

The capsule was placed in the centre of the nave, beneath the new flooring—part of the Activities Programme funded by the National Heritage Lottery, which runs alongside the £1.4 million physical reordering project currently underway at the church.

Created by the children and their teachers, the time capsule captures snapshots of life today: favourite objects and foods, personal concerns about the world, a local newspaper, and heartfelt prayers for the future.

Father Jim Barlow welcomed the group at the North Door and shared stories about the history of St Mary’s and the significance of the capsule for generations to come. The children then met Builder and Construction Manager Craig Wallbutton and Electrician Steven Blackmore, who gave them a behind-the-scenes look at the work they’ve been doing over the past five months.

A highlight of the visit was meeting Heritage Tiler and Mosaic Artist Jamie Jefferies, who is laying over 10,000 Victorian mosaic tiles by hand. When asked by one of the children about his favourite mosaic, Jamie smiled and replied, “A lovely dolphin in Burger King in Newmarket!”

 

The children gathered to read a prayer they had written in class before placing the gleaming silver capsule into the ground and sealing it with sand—leaving a legacy for future generations.

Following the visit, teacher Lyla Reynolds wrote to Activities Coordinator Jess Langton:
“Thank you so much for today — it was truly wonderful. The children especially loved the burying part; it was a touching and meaningful experience for them. They came back to class full of joy, and it was clear they had gained something special from the time with you.”