Search churches in Plymouth
Find churches across Plymouth and the Devon towns.
Historic churches in Plymouth
- The Minster Church of St Andrew: the largest parish church in Devon, medieval in origin, gutted by bombing in 1941 and rebuilt by 1957. The morning after the raid, someone fixed a wooden sign over the door reading "Resurgam", I shall rise again, and the word is now carved in stone above the entrance. The John Piper windows inside are among the finest post-war glass in England.
- Charles Church: left as a roofless shell on its roundabout as Plymouth's memorial to the more than 1,000 civilians killed in the Blitz.
- Plymouth Cathedral (St Mary and St Boniface): the Catholic cathedral in Stonehouse, consecrated in 1858, its slim spire a landmark of the western city.
- The Mayflower Steps and Island House: not a church, but the departure point of 1620 from which the Pilgrims carried their Separatist faith to America; the city's churches keep the connection alive.
Church life in the ocean city
Plymouth gave its name to the Plymouth Brethren, the movement that took root here in the early 1830s, and independent evangelical congregations remain a feature of the city's church map. Anglican parishes under the Diocese of Exeter serve neighbourhoods from Devonport to Plymstock, Catholic parishes cover the city alongside the cathedral, and Methodism, long strong in Devon and Cornwall, keeps active circuits. Newer congregations meet across the city, Pentecostal and international churches have grown with the university, and naval chaplaincy continues at Devonport, home to the largest naval base in Western Europe. Church-run food banks and debt advice centres are among the busiest in the south west.
Browse Plymouth churches in the directory
See every church we list in Plymouth, or explore Exeter, Torbay and the county's market towns on our Devon county page.
Practical notes for visitors
- Sunday services mostly start between 9.30am and 11am; the Minster Church also holds midweek services and lunchtime concerts.
- St Andrew's and Charles Church are both a short walk from the Hoe and the Barbican, easily combined with the Mayflower sites.
- The cathedral in Stonehouse holds daily Mass; check times around naval and civic events.
- Park and ride from the city's edge is easiest on busy summer weekends.
Frequently asked questions
What does "Resurgam" mean at St Andrew's?
Latin for "I shall rise again". Chalked on a board over the bombed church's door in 1941, it became Plymouth's motto of defiance and hope, and the rebuilt Minster Church still bears the word above its entrance.
Are the Plymouth Brethren still in Plymouth?
The movement spread worldwide after its early growth here, and assemblies of various branches still meet in the city and across Devon, generally in plain halls rather than traditional church buildings.