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Gazing across the
River Dart from
Kingswear, one can
see the ancient
Church of Saint
Saviour. St.
Saviour's, except
for its tower, is
almost hidden by the
Victorian
development of the
Quay.
Permission for a
church to be built
on the site was
given by Edward I in
1286 when he came to
inspect the harbour
for his use in his
French campaigns.
The Bishop of Exeter
and the Abbot of
Torre, who appointed
the priests of St.
Clement's and had
not been consulted,
objected and their
objections were
great and lengthy.
Eventually, in
October 1372 Bishop
Brantingham of
Exeter consecrated
the Church in honour
of the Holy Trinity
but in 1430 was
known as St.
Saviour's.
 The oldest part of
the building is the
illegally built
'Mayor's Chapel'
being the western
part of the Nave.
The Mayor's Pews,
the official seal
for the Mayor and
Councillors of the
Town, were installed
in the Church in
1816 and have been
moved several times.
The St. Nicholas
Chapel and the Altar
and Reredos are
comparatively new,
being refurbished in
the 1950's. There is
a stone piscina for
the washing of hands
and the sacred
vessels at the
Eucharist.
The South Door is
one of the Church's
great treasures with
its medieval
ironwork, and is
quite possibly the
original portal. In
1631 the door was
the subject of a
major refurbishment.
The beautiful screen
is made of oak and
was built in 1480.
It is decorated with
vine leaves, grapes
and wheat, symbols
of the Church and of
the Eucharist. There
is also a carving of
the 'Green Man' a
pagan symbol adopted
by the Church 1000
years ago.
The
Pulpit is made of
stone, not wood.
This is a fine piece
of workmanship.
The North West Case
of the magnificent
1889 Bryeceson
Organ is magnificent. This
Rococo beauty was
the case front of an
earlier instrument,
originally sited on
the West Gallery.
The Altar is
uniquely beautiful.
It dates from James
I and may have
replaced an older
stone Altar
dedicated in May
1318 AD by Bishop
Stapledon of Exeter
on his only visit to
Dartmouth.
In the Choir there
is a very fine brass
of John Hauley and
his two wives.
The Lady Chapel had
the Altar and
Reredos installed in
the early 1920's.
The Reredos has
particularly
beautiful panels,
consisting of mosaic
pictures.
The font is of
Purbeck stone and
dates from the 13th
or possibly early
14th Century. The
lid is of wood and
modern.
It would appear that
at one time there
was undoubtedly a
rood beam in the
fine chancel arch. A
modern carved wooden
crucifix painted and
gilded hangs in the
chancel arch and
provides some
colour.
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