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The privately owned church of St Mark and St Luke is an unusually unspoilt 2-cell Norman church. It is no longer open to the public.

Regular services in St Luke's & St Mark's are in abeyance but the permitted six services per year allow a rare chance to see and worship at this historic building.

The 12th century Church of St Swithun’s is situated on the side of a down, above the hamlet of Combe, in one of the most exceptional valleys in Southern England.

It is an archetypal English country church surrounded by its own well-tended churchyard. Noted locally for the beauty of its setting and the historical interest of its surroundings, it is respected for its simplicity and the peace of its atmosphere.

• One Communion service is held on the third Sunday of the month from the 1662 Prayer Book.
• Music is a central feature of the services and we are fortunate to have an excellent organist.
• The average congregation is 12 - 15 with a certain percentage coming from outside the community. The Christmas Carol and Easter services, which have built a reputation for being traditional services attract a congregation of approximately 50 people.

Service Times

Roadside parking only. There are no toilets at the church and no hearing loop is installed.

Wheelchair access is difficult. A car can be driven up a bridleway to the church entrance but there are deep steps down into the building.

• Katherine Astor
• 01488 668284

• Tina Fiertz
• 07785 928454

St Mary’s Church is located outside the centre of the village. A 12th Century foundation, it is structurally in good repair.

There are two chimed bells, dated 1592 and 1756, and a pipe organ in the gallery. A colourful and interesting Millennium window contains many local symbols.

Services in Hamstead Marshall are in abeyance.

There is limited parking outside the church. There are no toilets and no hearing loop is installed.

• John Stevenson
• 07775 521704

St. Michael’s Church was built in the 13th Century, probably by Sir Roger de Inkpen, a Knight Templar, whose probable tomb cover can be found north of the altar.

There is a chimed peal of six bells, rung before each service, the oldest dating from 1590 with the final two added in 2000.

Adjoining the church there is a meeting room for up to 40 with a small kitchen and two toilets, one of which is for the disabled. There is also disabled access to the church.

The church is held in high esteem in the village and is well kept and maintained.

• A Communion Service at 9:45am, usually on the 1st and 3rd Sundays in the month. When there is a baptism, the service becomes a Family Service.
• One 1662 Prayer Book Communion Services at 8:30am on the 2nd Sunday in the month.
• Occasional services, such as Compline, Evensong and Services with a Difference which aim to attract those who are seeking a faith but might regard themselves as spiritual rather than religious (these would usually replace one of the other services).

Service Times

St Michael's & All Angels Seating Plan

Parking is roadside only. There is also the possibility of car parking in a field for a small donation for services and events.

Two toilets are available, one raised. A hearing loop is installed.

There is wheelchair access through the door to the church room at the back of the church and no steps.

• Charlotte Bampfylde

• Andy MacInnes

St Mary's is a Grade II listed building, originally Norman, with many interesting features added over the centuries, creating a spiritual resource in our twenty-first century community.

Visitors are attracted by the monuments, the unusual painted ceiling and the historical connections with Jane Austen or the “Kintbury Martyr” buried in the churchyard – a victim of the 19th Century agricultural Swing Riots.

It is the largest of the Benefice churches and has in recent years been used to host the larger Benefice services. It is frequently full over the course of a typical year, with services such as Remembrance, the Christmas Eve crib service, weddings, funerals, primary school services, concerts and talks. There are also smaller, more intimate spaces, including a chapel and St Mary’s Room, ideal for private or daily prayer and small groups.

• Two Holy Communion Book of Common Prayer services at 8:00am on the 1st and 3rd Sunday in the month. Attendance is around 8-15.
• At 9:45am, an All Age on the 1st Sunday of the month, Holy Communion on the 2nd, and 4th Sundays. Attendance is around 30-40.

Service Times

Parking is roadside only.

There are two accessible toilets in St Mary Room adjacent, open during services and social activities. A hearing loop is installed.

The West End doors are open for services providing flat entry. Access via this entrance can be arranged at other times by contacting the churchwarden or rector. There is a wheelchair in the church available upon request.

• Gill Guy

A beautiful, well-maintained Church which is kept open. It was built in 1883; but two West Woodhay churches preceded it. Fortunately for us, the evidence for the two vanished churches is precise – and available.

The current church was built by William Henry Cole, who had bought the West Woodhay Estate in 1880. The architect was Sir Arthur Bloomfield, a prolific Victorian architect, who provided a simple flint and Bath stone church in the then favoured Early English style and of much the same size as the two earlier churches.

Striking features of the sanctuary are three high-relief carvings by the Belgian, Goyer. The organ is by the younger Henry Willis. It was installed at much the same time as the vestry screen – which is a memorial and thanksgiving for the relief of Ladysmith and of the ending of the Boer War.

• Two Common Worship Communion Services with a regular congregation of 10 which can swell to up to 100 for Festival services.
• An occasional lay led service of Compline.

Service Times

Roadside parking only. There are no toilets at the church and no hearing loop is installed.

A ramp is available to aid with wheelchair access.

• Harry Henderson
• 01488 668233

• Andy Fox-Boudewijn
• 01635 253768