Churston - From the Anglo-Saxon quot;Cyricquot; and quot;tonquot; meaning quot;crossquot; and quot;settlementquot;. The chapel, which was the fore runner of the church was granted to the Priory at nearby Totnes in 1143. In 1480 the chapel was given to the villagers to be served from St. Mary's in Brixham.
During the succeeding centuries the church was expanded and improved, sometimes successfully and sometimes not.
The history of the village, parish and families associated with the church and the developments in the building are well documented in Jean Tregaskes's quot;The Churston Storyquot;.
The church is known world wide for its East Window designed by James Paterson and dedicated in 1957. This was financed by Dame Agatha Christie Mallowan who lived in the parish for many years and worshipped regularly at Churston and the Barn Chapel. The window depicts scenes from the Gospels and contains allusions to life on the Greenway Estate where she lived.