Churches I Have Known
There are some websites for these churches on the
Links page.
There are some websites for these churches on the
Links page.
St Paul's, Kirby Road, Leicester
Just a single visit to this church, but obviously a significant one - where an atheist took
communion for the first time! A great echoey Victorian barn of a church, and in common
with a lot of Victorian churches in poor districts on the edge of cities it was quite advanced
Anglo-Catholic for its day. Sadly, 'its day' has now passed - the old church building was
declared redundant in 2002, and the church congregation now worships in an adapted
community centre nearby. At least they're still going.
Just a single visit to this church, but obviously a significant one - where an atheist took
communion for the first time! A great echoey Victorian barn of a church, and in common
with a lot of Victorian churches in poor districts on the edge of cities it was quite advanced
Anglo-Catholic for its day. Sadly, 'its day' has now passed - the old church building was
declared redundant in 2002, and the church congregation now worships in an adapted
community centre nearby. At least they're still going.
St Mary de Castro, Leicester
Long, dark, medieval, with lights and candles glinting in the dark ... a magically atmospheric
and beautiful church. Worship was still '1662 with incense' and so ceremonious the Gospel
reading was actually chanted. I first attended worship here on St Lucy's Day, 1991, and
walked there crunching through the snow of a December evening. The servers and clergy
outnumbered the congregation! The last occasion was on Easter Day 1992. The sun shafted
through the clouds of incense, but the celebrant wasn't the Vicar but a stand-in priest who
had such a nasal Old-Etonian twang that when he sang, far, far off at the great High Altar, it
sounded like Mongolian throat-singing. I understand it hasn't really changed!
Long, dark, medieval, with lights and candles glinting in the dark ... a magically atmospheric
and beautiful church. Worship was still '1662 with incense' and so ceremonious the Gospel
reading was actually chanted. I first attended worship here on St Lucy's Day, 1991, and
walked there crunching through the snow of a December evening. The servers and clergy
outnumbered the congregation! The last occasion was on Easter Day 1992. The sun shafted
through the clouds of incense, but the celebrant wasn't the Vicar but a stand-in priest who
had such a nasal Old-Etonian twang that when he sang, far, far off at the great High Altar, it
sounded like Mongolian throat-singing. I understand it hasn't really changed!
The Minster Church of St Mary & St Cuthberga, Wimborne
St Mark's, Talbot Village, Bournemouth
This is where I went through my somewhat unsatisfactory baptism. I returned for my sister's in
1976, and abortively went back about five years ago when my usual church was closed and I
was looking for a communion service (there wasn't one at St Mark's anyway). And that's all I
know about it. I'm sure it's doing terribly good work!
This is where I went through my somewhat unsatisfactory baptism. I returned for my sister's in
1976, and abortively went back about five years ago when my usual church was closed and I
was looking for a communion service (there wasn't one at St Mark's anyway). And that's all I
know about it. I'm sure it's doing terribly good work!
St John's, Chatham
Worryingly, this is another church which has now closed! Years ago St John's absorbed St
Mary's, the ancient parish church of Chatham, and now has itself been amalgated with the local
United Reformed congregation to form 'Emmaus'. The old church was really declining, sadly,
having been a thriving and fairly High church at one time. Unfortunately development in
Chatham isolated it from the town centre by a ring-road, and the closure of the Dockyard and
the economic problems of the town really did it no favours. Emmaus seems to be working well,
but the old church was left redundant. At the moment (2006), though, it's housing a vineyard as
part of an art project to symbolise the slow regeneration of Chatham! I was Confirmed here
and became a server, so I have a lot to thank St John's for. I think.
Worryingly, this is another church which has now closed! Years ago St John's absorbed St
Mary's, the ancient parish church of Chatham, and now has itself been amalgated with the local
United Reformed congregation to form 'Emmaus'. The old church was really declining, sadly,
having been a thriving and fairly High church at one time. Unfortunately development in
Chatham isolated it from the town centre by a ring-road, and the closure of the Dockyard and
the economic problems of the town really did it no favours. Emmaus seems to be working well,
but the old church was left redundant. At the moment (2006), though, it's housing a vineyard as
part of an art project to symbolise the slow regeneration of Chatham! I was Confirmed here
and became a server, so I have a lot to thank St John's for. I think.
St Francis's, Terriers, High Wycombe
Designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1930, St Francis's represents the final flowering of the Gothic
Revival. The site falls away steeply on the east side, so the church culminates in an enormous,
dramatic, windowless east end - the rest is a bit more dull! I only worshipped here a year - the
congregation wasn't huge but got on well and were trying to discover what God wanted of
them, which can't be bad.
Designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1930, St Francis's represents the final flowering of the Gothic
Revival. The site falls away steeply on the east side, so the church culminates in an enormous,
dramatic, windowless east end - the rest is a bit more dull! I only worshipped here a year - the
congregation wasn't huge but got on well and were trying to discover what God wanted of
them, which can't be bad.
St Mary & St George, Sands, High Wycombe
I moved house and so, accordingly, moved church - unknowingly to within yards of the most
Anglo-Catholic church for 30 miles around, abounding in incense, candles, Benediction, an
eastward-facing High Mass on a Sunday, and all sorts. Unfortunately it had become highly
eccentric over recent years and acquired a reputation for driving its priests to nervous
breakdowns. Its current vicar when I arrived had been sent in by the Bishop to clean it up or
close it down, and just succeeded in doing the former. It's now doing pretty well under what it
would never have expected having - a woman incumbent. Here I got thoroughly immured in
Church life, as server, Church Council member, and even (shudder) Deanery Synod
representative. And it fostered my 'vocation' - by the means of the churchwardens making me
take services during the 18 months when we had no priest!
I moved house and so, accordingly, moved church - unknowingly to within yards of the most
Anglo-Catholic church for 30 miles around, abounding in incense, candles, Benediction, an
eastward-facing High Mass on a Sunday, and all sorts. Unfortunately it had become highly
eccentric over recent years and acquired a reputation for driving its priests to nervous
breakdowns. Its current vicar when I arrived had been sent in by the Bishop to clean it up or
close it down, and just succeeded in doing the former. It's now doing pretty well under what it
would never have expected having - a woman incumbent. Here I got thoroughly immured in
Church life, as server, Church Council member, and even (shudder) Deanery Synod
representative. And it fostered my 'vocation' - by the means of the churchwardens making me
take services during the 18 months when we had no priest!
St John the Evangelist, Iffley Road, Oxford
St John's is a true oddity - the only English parish church in the care of a theological college.
While I was at St Stephen's House studying for the priesthood this was my regular place of
worship. The staff and students man the services. It used to be the church of the Cowley
Fathers, an Anglican order of monks who were based here in East Oxford. Inside rather
austere and chilly - much as you'd expect of a church founded by monks.
St John's is a true oddity - the only English parish church in the care of a theological college.
While I was at St Stephen's House studying for the priesthood this was my regular place of
worship. The staff and students man the services. It used to be the church of the Cowley
Fathers, an Anglican order of monks who were based here in East Oxford. Inside rather
austere and chilly - much as you'd expect of a church founded by monks.
St James's, Weybridge
St James' was where I served my curacy, a grand church with an 'English Catholic' tradition
where the musical side of things is very strong indeed, having been built up over generations.
Its soubriquet of 'the Cathedral of the Thames Valley' is possibly a little hubristic as the
Thames Valley already has three of its own!
St James' was where I served my curacy, a grand church with an 'English Catholic' tradition
where the musical side of things is very strong indeed, having been built up over generations.
Its soubriquet of 'the Cathedral of the Thames Valley' is possibly a little hubristic as the
Thames Valley already has three of its own!
Wimborne Minster was my church for a couple of years while I was working in the little
Dorset town, gradually getting into the habit of churchgoing, and for several years afterwards
whenever I was staying with Mum and Dad. It's grand, but somehow friendly, and I'd always
been taken by it since going there on a primary school trip. The congregation is fairly
middle-class with a sprinkling of gentry, and the worship 'floral and choral' - the Minster kept a
robed choir right the way through since the Middle Ages, with a short interruption during the
Commonwealth! Somewhere beneath it are the remains of the Anglo-Saxon abbess St
Cuthberga and the pre-Conquest king Ethelred. Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is always
stunningly beautiful - the Choir sing the Sanctus and Agnus in Latin to a 14th-century tune
which (I think) originated at the Minster.
Dorset town, gradually getting into the habit of churchgoing, and for several years afterwards
whenever I was staying with Mum and Dad. It's grand, but somehow friendly, and I'd always
been taken by it since going there on a primary school trip. The congregation is fairly
middle-class with a sprinkling of gentry, and the worship 'floral and choral' - the Minster kept a
robed choir right the way through since the Middle Ages, with a short interruption during the
Commonwealth! Somewhere beneath it are the remains of the Anglo-Saxon abbess St
Cuthberga and the pre-Conquest king Ethelred. Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is always
stunningly beautiful - the Choir sing the Sanctus and Agnus in Latin to a 14th-century tune
which (I think) originated at the Minster.
St Michael's, Colehill
This is actually my sister's church, so I can't say much about it really, but I tend to go there
when I'm in Dorset. It's an odd beast, built of brick and timber and the only church I've ever
been to which is actually too hot on occasion! A villagey sort of church.
This is actually my sister's church, so I can't say much about it really, but I tend to go there
when I'm in Dorset. It's an odd beast, built of brick and timber and the only church I've ever
been to which is actually too hot on occasion! A villagey sort of church.
St Jude's, Englefield Green
For 8 months I was 'on loan' to the church of St Jude, a village-type church not too far from
Virginia Water, during its vicar's absence serving with the TA. They are a good lot there, and
the experience was really worthwhile. For me, anyway. You'd have to ask them what they
thought. At least the place is still standing.
For 8 months I was 'on loan' to the church of St Jude, a village-type church not too far from
Virginia Water, during its vicar's absence serving with the TA. They are a good lot there, and
the experience was really worthwhile. For me, anyway. You'd have to ask them what they
thought. At least the place is still standing.
Other churches have captured my fancy on my wanderings. Click the names for:
St Barnabas, Iford, Bournemouth
All Saints, Burton Dassett
St Ninian's, Whitby
St Barnabas, Iford, Bournemouth
All Saints, Burton Dassett
St Ninian's, Whitby
