Church of Our Lady and St Patrick and Adjoining Presbytery

Church of Our Lady and St Patrick and Adjoining Presbytery is a Roman Catholic church in Teignmouth, a seaside town in the Teignbridge district of Devon, England. It is a Victorian Gothic Revival building designed by Charles Hansom, and the church and its presbytery are protected together as a Grade II listed building.

What is the church known for?

The building is a good example of Gothic Revival church architecture in South Devon. The listing describes a Middle Pointed Gothic design on a rectangular plan with aisles. The walls are of grey Plymouth stone, set off by lighter freestone dressings. The presbytery stands next to the church and is covered by the same listing, so the two are treated as a single group.

Who designed it?

The architect was Charles Hansom, a member of the Hansom family, which produced many Catholic churches in nineteenth-century England. Hansom was already working in Teignmouth in the 1850s. His first church here was dedicated to Our Lady and St Charles Borromeo and opened in 1854. It stood on land above a South Devon Railway tunnel.

What is the history of the site?

The first church did not stay in Teignmouth. In the 1870s it was dismantled and rebuilt in Plymouth, where it became Holy Rosary church. The present church dates from 1878 and was again designed by Hansom. It was consecrated on 7 October 1937.

The date of 1854 in the official listing refers to the earlier church, so for the building you see today the correct construction date is 1878.

Over the years the parish has been served by different religious communities. Redemptorists and Benedictines both ran it in the past, and it is now a diocesan parish within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Plymouth.

Where is it?

The church is in Teignmouth, on the Devon coast at the mouth of the River Teign. The Wikidata coordinates are 50.5489, -3.4926. The town has a beach, a pier and a long maritime and railway history, which makes the church an easy addition to a walk around the centre.

Visiting tips

• The church is still a place of worship, so please be respectful during services and keep noise down inside.
• Much of the interest is in the exterior: the grey Plymouth stone, the stone dressings and the Gothic proportions can be seen from the street.
• Combine the visit with other Victorian and Georgian architecture in Teignmouth and a walk along the seafront.
• If you want to see the interior, check the parish for opening times, as these depend on services and local arrangements.

Frequently asked questions

Is the church listed? Yes. The church and the adjoining presbytery are listed Grade II as one entry.

Who was the architect? Charles Hansom designed both the earlier church of 1854 and the present church of 1878.

When was the church consecrated? On 7 October 1937.

What happened to the first church? It was taken down in the 1870s and rebuilt in Plymouth as Holy Rosary church.

Is it a working church? Yes. It is a Catholic parish church in the Diocese of Plymouth.