The Place
The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin is a grade II listed building situated in Churston Ferrers village which lies some two miles from Brixham. The church, with a small kitchen and refectory, overlooks the churchyard and graveyard across the road, where there is also a private car park.
There has been a church on this site since 1088 and it has continued to be a place of worship from its foundation to the present day. We have recently reinstated the original West Door, making the church easily accessible and so improving the experience of visiting the church for disabled people, and ensuring we can provide worship opportunities for all.
Dame Agatha Christie Mallowan regularly worshipped at our church. In 1956, she donated the royalties from one of her novels to finance the design by Bideford artist James Patterson, and installation of the stained-glass east window. This Agatha Christie connection brings in many visitors every year from all around the world.
The churchyard and graveyard at Churston are well known for being beautifully maintained and a place of peace and tranquillity for people and for wildlife. The car park is a very useful asset. In the summer months we hold some of our services outside in the graveyard, which brings new faces and visitors to join us for informal worship. Our pretty church attracts many young couples for weddings.
The Chapel of the Good Shepherd, known locally as the Barn Chapel, was converted by a group of villagers in the 1960s from a traditional barn to the peaceful place of worship that it is today. This lovely complex is very important for our mission, as the village of Galmpton is somewhat geographically distant and separate from the church and village at Churston. Upstairs is the Barn Hall and situated, as they are, in the centre of Galmpton village they are right at the heart of the parish and play an important role in the life of the church community and village.
Our Parish today
Churston and Galmpton are communities wedged between Paignton and Brixham. We have a proportion of working families and a significant number of active retired parishioners with some housebound elderly. It is one of the wealthier districts of Torbay. We have loyal and very supportive congregations at Churston and the Barn.
Vestments are worn for Eucharist, Morning Worship services and weddings. At Churston we have six bells, a full team of servers, a small choir who gather once a month, readers and intercessors and our sides-people who welcome all who come through the door. We use our sound system to enhance services with alternative words and music when appropriate. Children are encouraged to take part in the family services, and these are interactive and very relaxed. Galmpton C of E Primary School are central to several services at St Mary the Virgin Churston as Churston parishioners attend ‘church in school’. Galmpton Primary school and the wider community make much use of the Barn.
At the Barn Chapel, all Sunday services are said.