St Giles & St Nicholas

Sidmouth has had a church since the late 12th century. The present tower dates from a 15th century rebuilding and contains a fine peel of ten bells. The remainder of the church is Victorian, designed by William White in 1860, and consists of a central nave with clerestory and aisles, short transepts, and a chancel, also with aisles. The organ chamber and vestries are grouped around the east end.

The stained glass is of excellent quality, mostly dating from the 1860s and with some vibrant colours. The west window was given by Queen Victoria as a memorial to her father, the Duke of Kent. It is a particularly fine work by Ward & Hughes of Christ with the children and the Christian virtues. The Lady Chapel contains a fragment of medieval glass depicting the five wounds of Christ from the old church, recalling the medieval patronage of the church by the Abbey of Zion in Middlesex. The reredos is by Teulon. A painted rood over the crossing is a memorial to a 20th century vicar. The organ was installed in the late 19th century, but has been much improved and now has a modern four manual console. The church contains many interesting memorials, mostly from the early 19th century when Sidmouth was a notable health resort.