Churches of the British Isles

Community Church (Sidmouth College) sits within the grounds of Sidmouth College itself, which can be accessed at the northern end of Primley Road in northern Sidmouth. This modern church meeting is part of Newfrontiers, a worldwide family of allied churches. It has a sister meeting in Honiton (see 'related links'), and the two sites would appear to be used interchangeably when required. Much of the existing 1960s college building was replaced in the 2020s.

Emmanuel Baptist Church, Sidmouth, is on the east side of Tyrrell Mead, opposite the Manstone Lane junction. The OS 25-inch map of 1892-1914 shows this site to house Tyrrell Mead Mission Hall. That had become a cattle shed by about 1930 though. Seeing how the town was expanding at the time, two ladies set about converting the shed back into a chapel when they found the site in 1932. That had to be expanded in 1965-1968, with further remodelling in 2006.

The Church of St Peter, Sidford, is at the north-west corner of the Church Street and England's Close junction. Built in 1865 as a chapel-of-ease, it is the largest building in Sidford, and is one of two Anglican churches in the parish of Sidbury with Sidford. It is a typical Victorian 'Early Decorated' red-brick building with cream-coloured stone bands, consisting of chancel, a five-bay nave, aisles, north and south porches, and a one-bell turret. A church hall was added in the 1970s.

Sidford Methodist Church sits on the northern side of Church Street, just thirty metres to the east of the School Street junction. Set back from the street within its own grounds, the building was originally opened in 1901 as part of the Plymouth and Exeter Methodist circuit's Church Street Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. It was rebuilt in 1933 following the Methodist union, no doubt as part of an expansion which produced the building which could be seen into 2025.

Sidford Road Wesleyan Methodist Chapel sat at the south-west corner of the junction between Sidford Road and the High Street, now occupied by the white houses on the right of this shot. Shown on the OS 25-inch map of 1892-1914, it occupied the same alignment and plot as the current houses, but perhaps not extending quite so far to the south (left). Built by 1848, it was out of use by the time of the 1937-1961 OS map, presumably due to the Methodist union of 1932.

Photos on this page kindly contributed by Tim Jenkinson and Keith Guyler / British Methodist Buildings via the 'History Files: Churches of the British Isles' Flickr group, two copyright © Anthony Vosper and Jaggery via Geograph, reused under a cc licence, and one photo copyright © Sidmouth Community Church. Additional information from Kelly's Directory of 1902.