Facilities and features
Accessibility
The ladies and gents toilets are situated opposite the Church Hall, some 70 metres from the West end of the church.
The main (South) porch has a ramped entrance into the church, suitable for wheelchair access etc.
The North porch is unsuitable to wheelchair access.
This is activated whenever the in-house P.A. system is switched on.
Large print service sheets are available for most services.
Our Building
St George's side-chapel is currently open for individual prayer and reflection from 11am to 1pm Tuesday through Saturday. Most of the pews are currently cordoned off owing to the COVID-19 sitution.
St Mary's is a mainly 15th century Grade I listed building and is considered one of the finest in Devon.
St Mary's is committed to the Eco-Church project as an ongoing process. It currently uses 100 percent green electricity and nearly all the lighting is by LED. The gas is a green as it can be, containing a small percentage of bio-gas.
Music and Worship
The church has eight fine bells. The largest of these is the Tenor bell, which weighs 28 cwt.
There is team of bellringers, but bellringing is currently suspended owing the COVID-19.
We normally have many concerts and live music but this is all currently suspended owing the COVID-19.
We have a very fine Father Willis organ which has been played by many world-class organists.
The 8am Sunday morning Holy Communion service normally uses the BCP.
We have a sizeable Sunday and an augmented monthly Choral Evensong choir drawn from a wide area but this has been suspended until further notice owing to COVID-19.
Groups, Courses and Activities
We have some fine ledger stones in the church and brass-rubbing can be arranged by request.
We actively support the Totnes Connection Hub, which provides a wide range of services and facilities for addiction victims.
We normally have a choice of several House Groups and Lent groups for Bible Study and C of E courses but these are currently in abeyance owing to COVID-19.
The Friends of St Mary's normally hold weekly coffee mornings in the Church and grounds on Tuesdays in the warmer months but these have been suspended owing to COVID-19.
We have a close relationship with and actively support the Totnes Connection Hub and Food Bank. To this end, a special Bank Account named the Care Gift Account has been set up and several parishioners make regular payments into this. We also, in normal times, have a small food and clothing bank in St Mary's but this is not currently available owing to COVID-19.
St George's side-chapel is regularly used by the Mothers Union in normal time.
Several St Mary's members are Street Pastors. These operate from Totnes United Free Church.
Help for Visitors
We have various guidebooks and also leaflets about the church in some 20 languages.
Recently, we introduced a set of six hand-held interpretation 'paddles' which contain a great deal of detailed information presented in a very attractive format. However, the use of these has been suspended owing to COVID-19.
Former Town Mayor Pruw Boswell is currently authoring a comprehsive guidebook to St Mary's which should be available shortly.
The Friends of St Mary's have an unmanned shop in the Church which has a wide range of merchandise.
Owing to COVID-19, the Church opening is restricted to 11am to 1pm Tuesday through Saturday for private prayer and medition.
(In normal times, the Church is open 7 days per week from approx 8.45am to 5pm in Summer or 4pm in Winter.)
Other Features
We offer Fair Trade coffee after the main Sunday service but this is currently in abeyance owing to COVID-19.
In normal times, have a small food and clothing bank in St Mary's but this is not currently available owing to COVID-19.
We have a projector and screen for presentations etc.
We have a small church hall with a piano and a well-equipped kitchen which is normally available for hire. However, it is currently closed owing to COVID-19 restrictions.