Editing Torquay (section)

==Religion==
[[File:Central Church, Torquay - geograph.org.uk - 213978.jpg|thumb|Central Church, Torquay]]
''For a summary of the 2001 census results on religion'', see below, Demographics

Torquay has about 60 churches<ref>{{cite web |title=Index to Torquay Churches |website=Terry Leaman |url=http://www.terry-leaman.co.uk/Tiscali/churches%202/Church%20index.htm |access-date = 29 June 2019}}</ref> from a wide variety of Christian denominations. Central Church ([[Methodist]] and [[United Reformed Church]]) has a notable pierced screen wall facade. St Matthias's Church, Wellswood, was built as a chapel-of-ease to St Mark's, Torwood, in the 1850s and became a parish church in 1880. In the 1970s, the churches of St Mark and Holy Trinity were closed and in 1979, the vicar of St Matthias's became rector of the parish of St Matthias, St Mark and Holy Trinity.<ref>{{cite web |title=St Matthias Church - church history |website=St Matthias Church |url=http://www.st-matthias-church.org/general-information/ |access-date=7 July 2019 |archive-date=23 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123121345/https://www.st-matthias-church.org/general-information/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

St Saviour's Church and [[St Michael's Chapel, Torquay|St Michael's Chapel]] are medieval church buildings, now Anglican. St Saviour's originally had no aisles but a north aisle was added in the 14th century. The tower is at the west end and early medieval in date. Over restoration was carried out both on the exterior and interior in 1849. The monuments include one in early Tudor style to Thomas Cary (d. 1567) and another to Thomas Ridgeway (d. 1604) which includes an alabaster effigy. The Chapel of St Michael is only 36 by 15&nbsp;ft and its floor is the uneven surface of the rock on which it stands. The roof has a barrel vault and the windows are small. The 19th-century Anglican churches of Torquay include All Saints, Bamfylde Road (1884–90, architect [[John Loughborough Pearson]]), [[St John's Church, Torquay|St John's, Montpelier Terrace]] (1861–71, architect [[George Edmund Street]]), St Luke's (1863, architect Sir [[Arthur Blomfield]]), St Mark's, St Mark's Road (1856–57, architect [[Anthony Salvin]]), St Mary Magdalene, Union Street (1846, architect Anthony Salvin), and St Michael, Pimlico (1877, architect Pritchard).<ref>Pevsner, N. (1952) ''South Devon''. Harmondsworth: Penguin; pp. 291–94</ref> Two [[Roman Catholic]] churches, both built in the 19th century and are listed buildings, in Torquay are the [[Church of the Assumption of Our Lady, Torquay|Church of the Assumption of Our Lady]] and [[Our Lady Help of Christians and St Denis Church, Torquay|Our Lady Help of Christians and St Denis Church]].

The former St Andrew's Presbyterian church (built in 1862) on Torwood Gardens Road closed in 1951, and after a time as a nightclub, was converted to private residences.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dixon |first=Kevin |date=21 March 2018 |title=The church that rocked |website=We Are South Devon |url=http://wearesouthdevon.com/monastery-alfred-church-rocked/ |access-date=7 July 2019 |archive-date=13 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413111126/http://wearesouthdevon.com/monastery-alfred-church-rocked/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

There is also a [[Christadelphian]] meeting hall in the town.<ref>{{cite web |title=Torquay Christadelphians |url=https://christadelphianstorquay.wordpress.com/ |access-date=7 July 2019 |archive-date=13 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413122558/https://christadelphianstorquay.wordpress.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

There is also an Islamic centre and mosque.<ref>{{cite web |title= Welcome to Torbay Islamic Centre |website=Torbayislamiccentre.com |url=http://www.torbayislamiccentre.com/site/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508211700/http://www.torbayislamiccentre.com/site// |archive-date=8 May 2012}}</ref> A United Hebrew Congregation synagogue was closed in 2000, and the congregation dissolved.<ref>{{cite web |title=JCR-UK: Torquay United Hebrew Congregation (Synagogue closed), Torbay, Devon |website=Jewish Communities and Records - United Kingdom |url=http://www.jewishgen.org/jcr-uk/community/torq/index.htm |access-date=7 July 2019 |archive-date=12 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312072123/http://www.jewishgen.org/jcr-uk/community/torq/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>