Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is an Anglican church built in 1911 in Laira, Plymouth, replacing an earlier mission church. It was designed by TR Kitsell of Plymouth, on land donated by Lucy Clark of Efford Manor. The west end was never completed as originally planned.

The church is constructed of rock-faced granite with slate hanging to the west end and Bath stone used internally. It has dry slate roofs, steeply pitched over the nave, with lean-to roofs to the aisles. A steep pyramidal roof sits behind the tower, and an octagonal roof covers the stair turret. The design incorporates elements of the Perpendicular style, alongside curvilinear tracery and lancet windows. The sloping site introduces a crypt beneath the south aisle, the tower, and the chancel.

The exterior features prominent three-stage buttresses with cruciform finials and pinnacles, and three-light windows with varied Gothic tracery and hoodmoulds. The south aisle crypt has two segmental arches with recessed panels; the left panel features a doorway and the right has a series of stepped windows. The nave’s clearstorey windows are paired, and there are carved gargoyles by JB Hunt. The squat, buttressed tower has a narrow pointed doorway approached by steps, with louvred segmental-headed lights to the bell chamber. The chancel features a pair of lancets, a two-light traceried window, and a fine five-light east window with intricate tracery above a panelled apron and a central statue. Small crypt windows are also present.

The interior showcases intricate carving of angels and dolphins by JB Hunt, with arcade arches exhibiting late Gothic detail. The sedilia have a nodding ogee arch to the first seat, followed by two further seats beneath trefoil-headed windows. An Arts and Crafts font has a Polyphant bowl with Art Nouveau carving and a crocketed spirelet supported by volutes. The font is mounted on a green marble central shaft and spirally decorated corner shafts. A reredos is featured within the southeast chapel, attributed to one of the Pinwells. The glass is predominantly clear with patterned leading, with some richly coloured glass in the upper lights.