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The number of scholars being in the region of three hundred gave rise to a site in Union Street being purchased and the building of a Sunday School was commenced in 1876. The building opened in 1878 and the adjoining Chapel in 1879. This building was burnt down in October 1926 and although there were thoughts of abandoning the site and concentrating on the rapidly growing Torquay suburbs, it was rebuilt.
By the 1950's dwindling congregations and the upkeep of Victorian buildings not always suitable for 20th century forms of worship forced the Trustees of Union Street Methodist Church to consider plans for redevelopment of the site. At the same time the congregation of Belgrave Congregational Church, Tor Hill Road, were thinking along the same lines. The suggested development plans for each church did not meet with the approval of either congregation, but the publicity surrounding the ideas led the congregations to consider the ecumenical step of joining together. This became reality with the sale of Union Street and Market Street Methodist Churches and the building of Central Church on the Belgrave site. The new church was opened and dedicated on 4th September, 1976.
In the 1860's a Bible Christian Chapel had been established in East Street. With the union of the smaller branches of Methodism in 1908 to become the United Methodist Churches this became Zion Methodist Church and remained in use until 1954 when it was put up for sale together with the successor of the original Barton Chapel and a small chapel in Western Road. Chelston was served by two Methodist churches, meeting first over the stable in Walnut Road and then in a vacant house the Wesleyan congregation were able to build a church at the bottom of Huxtable Hill, which is still in use. In Innerbrook Road there was a chapel of the New Connexion which, under the 1908 union, came under Zion Church but closed during the Second World War.
Methodist services were held in the Plainmoor area from the 1830's. After the cholera outbreak of 1849 a slum clearance was undertaken in Torquay and displaced families were housed in temporary buildings on Barton Fields. This area became known as Victoria Park and permanent houses were built. The increased population made it possible for the Wesleyan Methodists to build a chapel and schoolroom in 1864, which is still in use today.
In 1930 an Enabling Act of Parliament empowered the Wesleyan Primitive and United Methodist Churches to become the Methodist Church in 1932. Since then Torquay has seen two Methodist churches built; St. Andrews, Shiphay in 1952 and St. George's, Watcombe in 1954. The former still serves Shiphay but the latter is now closed.
Thus it was that Methodism reached Torquay and the surrounding area. Paignton and Brixham arrived at the same goal by different routes. Of the two principal places of worship, that in Fore Street, Brixham, was built around 1816, and that in Palace Avenue, Paignton, in 1895/6 although a congregation had been meeting since around 1840.
In the early days of Methodism there was one Circuit covering the whole of South Devon. As churches multiplied this was broken up and re-arranged a number of times. By the 1970's there was a Torquay and Paignton Circuit and a Brixham and Dartmouth Circuit within the Plymouth and Exeter District. All three towns now come under the Torbay Circuit, as does Kingskerswell.