Christchurch, King Sterndale

Christchurch, King Sterndale

A small church down a narrow lane in a very quiet area. There is a good welcome notice on the door which gives a little bit of history. The sign outside gives details of the services here and the clergy. There had been 9 entries in the visitors book in July.

I found a few books for sale, including a History of King Sterndale by Joyce Critchlow who used to live here. There are also prayer cards and book marks. There is a small basket of books to keep children amused.

This is a small and delightful church. There is a Parish Room opposite and it would make a great venue for a quiet day or to join The Small Pilgrim Places Network.

I rate Christchurch as OK but so much more could be done here to make this a more attractive place for visitors. There is a story to be told, of the Pickfords who built this place, and of the community around. Well worth seeking out. One oddity was a windowsill covered with pebbles with names on them – what was this about? There is a Friends of Kings Sterndale who have an informative website at http://www.kingsterndale.org/ which gives a lot of information about the church.