is an historic manor and parish on elevated ground now forming part of the western suburbs of the town of Dartmouth, in the South Hams district, in the county of Devon, England.

[7] In 1329 the vicar of Townstal allegedly drowned himself and the Bishop of Exeter punished this crime by issuing an interdict that forbade any religious services from taking place at the church for two years.

[8] In 1330 King Edward III visited Dartmouth and was petitioned by the town's burgesses to allow them to build a church down by the waterside because of what they said was the "very great fatigue of their bodies" in climbing the hill to Townstal.

Their petition was granted by a charter dated 16 February 1330 which allowed William Bacon to assign to Torre Abbey an acre of land in Clifton, near the river, to "build anew the parish church".

[12] In 1340 a widow named Elena Cove won a case at the Exeter assizes in which she accused the friars, William Bacon, and several other Dartmouth burgesses of depriving her of a house and half an acre of land at Clifton.

He consecrated the friary church and grounds, apparently claiming to act with the authority of the pope, then heard confessions, granted indulgences to several parishioners, absolved several who were excommunicate, and confirmed and anointed some children.