Parish of Paignton

The Parish of Paignton in The Diocese of Exeter and Deanery of Torbay is a place where ancient buildings meet modern congregations, where traditional worship meets engaging and relevant spiritual journeys, where distinct and different styles and congregations come together to share in our walk with God as part of a loving Church family.

Currently, the parish comprises of St John the Baptist Church (a Grade 1 listed building) with the adjacent parish hall known as The Coverdale Centre, and St Boniface Church, a Church and Hall facility combined.

Based in the town of Paignton the Parish consists of a variety of very different communities. At the heart of Torbay, the town has a strong sense of identity, a rich history, outstanding areas of beauty and is a popular beach tourist resort. It boasts sandy beaches as well as spacious green areas. This is a compact resort with the seafront and town centre shops all in close proximity. The southwest coastal path stretches extensively in both directions. It is famous for its Dartmouth Steam Railway, running services to Kingswear and thence to Dartmouth and there are good transport links both into and out of the area. Paignton Zoo is known as one of the best in the country.

Paignton is not solely a seaside town. Behind the 20th century resort, is a spacious, well laid out late Victorian town centre, and adjoining this is a much older settlement, still traceable by its narrow streets. Until the Reformation, Paignton was one of the richest manors of the Bishop of Exeter. Scanty remnants of the Bishop’s Palace survive close to the substantial medieval parish church. Not far off is Kirkham House, a carefully restored small medieval house. There are also some engagingly eccentric 19th Century buildings in the town: Redcliffe Towers (Redcliffe Hotel), a Hindu fantasy, and the staggering Oldway Mansion (now empty and closed) transformed in the early 20th Century by the Singer family into a vision of Versailles.