Music plays an important part in our worship and parish life. We have a new three-manual organ.  There is currently one regular organist and others can be called upon.  At the present time St. Mary’s is trying to recruit a Director of Music.  The choir mainly comprises experienced singers and there is a particular need to widen its membership.

In the Tower there are six bells and there have been some notable peals rung on these bells over the years.  The Master of the Tower holds practice sessions.

The congregation is a cross-section of local people with a mixture of long-term residents and, in recent years, there has been an encouraging increase in younger families attending the 9.30 am service.

The electoral roll for 2008 currently stands at 344, of which 228 are resident within the parish and 116 outside.

This includes:

• a part-time non-stipendiary Curate
• two Readers
• a Parish Lay Worker
• a Lay Evangelist
• a Pastoral Assistant
• 11 Lay Ministers of Communion
• 2 Churchwardens and 2 Deputies
• 26  Sidespeople
• a team of over 50 who read lessons or lead  intercessions during services
• an excellent paid part-time caretaker, residing  in Church Cottage
• baptism team led by young mothers                  

The Parochial Church Council is a vibrant body, which meets approximately six times a year.  The incumbent chairs this committee. The PCC operates through a number of committees, officers and working parties as follows:

• Standing Committee/Finance Committee
• Communications Committee
• Education Committee
• Mission and Unity Committee
• Fundraising Group
• Social Committee
• Worship Committee
• Environmental Group
• Stewardship Committee
• Health and Safety Committee
• Fabric Officer
• Land Officer
• Tree Officer

We encourage all people to offer their gifts in the service of God in their work, their local communities and the world.

THE CHURCH AND GROUNDS

We know there was a Rector here in 1249, so there must have been a church too. The nave, the oldest existing part, was probably built at that time.

Some 250 years later the church was enlarged by adding another aisle.  To do this, one wall had to be demolished and, to hold up the roof, the most distinctive feature of the church was erected - the wooden columns forming an arcade. This, though not unique, is very rare. Each column is hewn from an individual oak tree.

The splendid porch, tower and shingled spire were built in the 15th century. In the 19th century a new chancel was added on, the existing one becoming part of the nave.  In the 20th century a new floor, choir and clergy vestries and toilets were added.

The churchyard consists of three parts, the more ancient, surrounding the church itself, and two on the other side of Hall Lane.  There is a Garden of Remembrance with a  memorial wall, upon which are inscribed the names of those whose ashes have been interred there.

The Butterfly Meadow, opened in 2005, has captured the interest of the wider community.  Many people, including St. Mary’s School, are willing to help maintain this pleasant and peaceful area next door to the main graveyard.  This 1.3 acre field was given to St. Mary’s Church by the Courage family early in the last century for eventual use as a graveyard.  In 2005, recognising that we would not need the site for this purpose for many years to come, we asked for ideas about how the meadow could be used for more immediate community benefit, and the idea of the Butterfly Meadow was born.  Today it is a significant nature conservation area.