Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, Kingswear

The Church of St Thomas of Canterbury stands on a gentle rise where Higher Street meets Church Hill in Kingswear, Devon. It overlooks the wide River Dart and sits just above the railway station and the Lower Ferry slip. The building is a Grade II listed structure, recognising its historic importance. A church has occupied this spot since about 1170, first recorded in deeds drawn up around 1173. These early documents show the land was given by Willelmus de Vasci and his wife Juliana to support a chapel dedicated to St Thomas the Martyr. The church’s dedication reflects the wave of piety that followed Thomas Becket’s murder in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170 and his canonisation in 1173. For centuries it belonged to Totnes Priory, with monks serving as its priests. In 1196 Torre Abbey took over part of the local lands, and by 1253 it owned several churches including Kingswear. A notable survivor is an ancient stone coffin lid, once part of the tomb of Brother Philip, a descendant of one of Becket’s killers. The inscription promised thirty days’ pardon to those who prayed for his soul. Inside, the church retains its 12th-century tower and was rebuilt in the 1840s by Exeter architect J. Hayward in the Decorated style. The nave and south aisle were reconstructed in local limestone, with a gallery added at the west end. Three bells hang in the tower, two dating from about 1599 and the third recast in 1939. The surroundings include the quiet lanes of Kingswear and views across the Dart to Dartmouth. The church remains a peaceful place, its history written into its stones and the river beyond.