On the outside St Luke’s Church in Torquay looks very traditional, built in local grey limestone with a slate roof.
But inside it’s quite extraordinary and is one of our town’s hidden gems. Built in 1863, it’s a good example of a late nineteenth century enriched interior with unusual short cast-iron columns on deep plinths.
There was, however, a fire in 1964 and that’s when the Church gets a bit eccentric.
The nave has a wagon roof with moulded ribs springing from corbels and the painted decoration was restored after the 1964 disaster. These stencil and freehand paintings include references to W(h)ales- the minister was apparently from Wales – and, most bizarrely, features an image of the Sputnik, the first satellite put into space by the Soviet Union in 1957.
For an opportunity to see St Luke’s in all its glory, the Christmas Eve Service begins at 10.00, and the Christmas Day Service begins at 11AM. All are welcome!
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