When you think of church, what do you picture? Towers and spires? Hard wooden pews, organs and bells. Weddings, christenings, funerals, harvest festivals, Christmas and Easter celebrations? There are many expressions of church, and Kingsbridge reflects this rich diversity too.

On the hill to the east of town stands the church of St Thomas of Canterbury. Known locally as Dodbrooke Church, it dates back to the late 13th century.

Half a mile away, near the top of town and staring down Duncombe Street, is Kingsbridge Methodist Church. Built in 1814, it’s part of a circuit of churches that include Chillington and Hope Cove. Down Fore Street, past The Shambles, is The Church of St Edmund King & Martyr.

There was a chapel recorded on this site as far back as 1220, with links to Buckfast Abbey. Further down the hill, next to the bank, is the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart. Previously a Quaker Meeting House it also belonged to the Salvation Army.

The building was acquired by the Catholic Church in 1902. Across the road is a recently renovated chapel, home to South Hams Christian Fellowship, an independent evangelical church that met in Stokenham for 30 years before buying the chapel building. Further down the hill, on the right, is Baptist Lane.

A short walk away from Fore Street reveals a large, historic building dating from 1799. Its ‘nonconformist (Baptist) roots’ can be traced back to1640. Today it’s the home of Kingsbridge Family Church.

All these churches have different historical roots with individual ways of expressing their Christian faith. A diverse group of people belonging to different kinds of churches, but with one shared belief. All professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and in the certain knowledge that ‘He is the same yesterday, today and forever!’