TORQUAY CHURCHES
The New Church of England Parishes
Christ Church, the Parish Church of Ellacombe
And the Mission Churches of St Paul’s & St Barnabas’
In 1868 because of the rising population within the newly created area of Ellacombe an order for the erection of a new Parish Church was gazetted in August of that year. The parish was created out of Upton. The corner stone was laid on the 9th of August 1868 by the founder of the church Mr A. F. Haliburton, who gave £5000 towards the cost. It was consecrated on 20 August 1868.
Behind the church is a large hall complex, part of which used to house the infants class of the nearby Ellacombe School.
Before the church was ready services were held in the school house which had been provided by Sir L Palk, after an appeal by Preb Wolfe of Upton Parish. This was an infants school only and was built on part of the site of the current school in Ellacombe Church Road, (was Higher Victoria Road).
Set high on Stentifords Hill was the little Mission Church of St Barnabas, built of wood and iron it was constructed in 1878, originally slightly further down the hill, it was moved up the hill because of unsafe ground. Although quite small it still had accommodation for 150 people. It was closed in 1965.
On 28 January 1890 the Mission Church of St Paul was opened. It was at the top of St Paul’s Road (originally Broadmead Road) in Plainmoor in the area originally known as Boston Fields. This was another building of wood and iron (and was usually referred to as the "tin Church" ) In 1966 St Paul’s Church was closed and demolished despite vocal local opposition.