St Saviour
Dartmouth, Devon
Gazing across the River Dart from Kingswear, you can see the ancient church of St Saviour.
The fishing community which flourished in the 19th century remained overwhelmingly Protestant and low church. During the last year of his life Henry Francis Lyte, vicar of All Saints and author of the hymn ‘Abide With Me’, lamented of the defection of many of his congregation to the Plymouth Brethren.
But the Roman Catholic community of Brixham came together and worshipped for many years at a small church in Cavern Hill.
By the mid 1960s, the congregation was growing and it looked to pastures new. On a former croquet lawn they built the Church to Our Lady, Star of the Sea at a cost of £46,000. The church opened in 1967 and was consecrated on March 8th, 1972.
It is a most peculiar building with a car park on the roof.