Cultural Devon / Cultural Attractions in Devon / Devon's Religious Buildings and Sites

Devon's Religious Buildings and Sites

Travel around Devon and you will come to understand how essential its religious buildings, from humble parish church to mighty cathedral, are to its history and landscape. And with over 600 parish churches there are plenty of tales to discover.

Queen of all is the magnificent Exeter Cathedral. Its wonderful decorated gothic style, dating back to the 13th century, has changed remarkably little over the years. Before Exeter became the bishop's seat, Crediton had that honour, chosen because it was the birthplace of the missionary St Boniface; hence its spectacular church - The Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross - which still dominates the town today.

Another superb church is St Mary's at Ottery St Mary, a miniature version of Exeter Cathedral with a working mediaeval clock. Equally outstanding, in quite another sense, is the tiny church of St Michael, perched atop the pinnacle of Brent Tor, miles from anywhere.

During the Reformation Devon's abbeys were not so fortunate: the Cistercian monasteries at Buckfast and Buckland were taken over and Buckland 13th Century abbey church was left in ruins. Today, however, Buckfast Abbey site houses a flourishing Benedictine abbey which welcomes visitors, while Buckland Abbey still incorporates the remains of the 13th-century abbey church, and has rich associations with Sir Francis Drake and his seafaring rival, Sir Richard Grenville