A utilitarian structure of 1954 with an equally utilitarian addition of 1984. The church was at one time served from Buckfast Abbey, and there is a dalle de verre stained glass window in the porch, presumably made in the Buckfast workshop.

In 1931 a small iron church was built on a plot of high ground at the junction of Greenbank and Launceston Roads. During the Second World War the congregation was boosted by Polish soldiers and Italian prisoners-of-war. Later on the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales took over the mission, which became part of Tavistock parish.

In 1954 the site of the 1931 church was compulsorily purchased by the council for road widening, and a new site was provided in Lower Coronation Street, close to a new development of council housing. The present church was opened in 1954 by Bishop Francis Grimshaw. The Missionaries of St Francis de Sales left in 1981 and Bishop Restieaux asked Buckfast Abbey to send a priest to help with the running of the parish. A growing congregation meant that in 1984 an extension was needed, built at right angles to the 1954 structure. After a period in which it was served from Launceston, the church is now once again served from Tavistock.

Description     

The original 1954 church is a simple, small structure of red brick laid in stretcher bond, and with a synthetic slate roof. It has a mixture of metal, uPVC and aluminium windows. What little architectural display there is on the building is confined to the entrance front where there are two oval windows on either side of the porch and a raised parapet. The porch appears to have been added at the same time as the north extension, built at right angles to the main church. This extension is in red brick, with brick sills, stained hardwood windows and a synthetic slate roof.  There is a dalle de verre stained glass window of the Annunciation in the porch, doubtless from the Buckfast workshop. The interior has not been inspected.

Heritage Details