Our Story:

Every summer, swifts return to our skies — screaming joyfully overhead, weaving between rooftops, raising their young in the eaves and towers of our oldest buildings. But across the UK, swift numbers have fallen by more than 60% in the last 30 years. They are running out of places to nest.

We want to change that, right here at St Mary's.

With approval from our PCC, we're partnering with the Devon Swift Project to install swift nesting boxes in the belfry of our church tower. We'll be joining a growing family of Devon churches — including Exeter Cathedral, South Molton, Stoke, and Barnstaple — who have already opened their towers to these incredible birds.

The results speak for themselves. At Chumleigh, where boxes were installed in 2022, the number of nesting pairs has grown by 50% in just three years. Our tower could become a lifeline for generations of swifts to come.

Why it matters to us

Caring for creation is part of who we are as a church. Swifts have shared our buildings for centuries — nesting in the same towers where bells have rung, prayers have been offered, and communities have gathered. Welcoming them back is a small but meaningful way of saying: this place is for life, in every sense.

How your gift helps

Every donation goes directly toward the cost of building, installing, and monitoring the swift boxes through the Devon Swift Project. Whatever you can give — large or small — brings us closer to hearing those joyful summer skies fill up again.

Thank you for being part of this with us. 🐦

"Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, near your altar, O Lord." — Psalm 84:3