churchtourismstudy

Out in the Devon countryside again to Berry Pomeroy. This church is open most days and there is a sign in the gate which says this. Inside, there are prayer cards and notelets for sale as well as some guides to walk around with. A leaflet on the church and village is available also.

There had been 13 names entered into the visitors book in the last 20 days. For children there is an area set up as many other churches now have. Some local history is on display as the village has a link with American forces involved in D Day. A folder on the bells is available as well which is an interesting touch. Also a book on Devon’s famous church carvings; ‘A cloud of witnesses’ . St. Mary’s is in there. It has a lovely screen which was defaced at the Reformation.

There is a toilet here which visitors can use as well. Often these are jealously guarded and only for use at service times. Berry Pomeroy is more enlightened than that.

I rate St. Mary’s as good.

When I got to Totnes I found it very busy. The High Street had been closed off to traffic as there were orange races going on. This is one of the bizarre customs which us Brits seem to delight in. This involves rolling an orange down the steep street whilst running after it and kicking it along when necessary. All ages were involved but generously proportioned police woman got the best cheer as she ran after her orange. All great fun .

St. Mary’s church stands on the busy High Street. They run a cafe which does help to attract people inside (as well as to sit outside). The church is open every day and there is a board outside which proudly proclaims this. There is a shop here as well selling gifts and cards. There are some laminated history cards in several languages as well as a rack of welcome leaflets, again in different languages. For children there is a ‘Children’s Quiz’ leaflet which is a nicely drawn collection of the various images and symbols in the church to look out for. Very simple but very good. The welcome leaflet gives a brief history by outlining features on interest to look at. It concludes by saying;

‘Thank you for visiting our church. You have not been visiting a museum but a house of prayer and worship. Our forebears built this place for the love of God. We do our best to keep the church in good repair. If you would like to help with the cost of maintaining this building you will find a box, towards the rear of the building, in which to place a donation.’ A good example of how to word a reminder of why the church is here and the need for funds. Better than many I have seen! There is a good guide book also. 57 people in the visitors book in the last 20 days.

There is a prayer chapel with a votive stand, a prayer book, an open Bible and various prayer leaflets to guide people. One feature of note is some reflective poems by Helga Watts. These are available by emailing her on helgajosewatts@gmail.com. I wonder how many do this?

All in all St. Mary’s rates and excellent. A good example of what can be done by a relatively modest church in an area with many visitors. Go and have a look!

Another delightful Dartmoor church in an idyllic setting. It is open each day with a sign on the lych gate which proclaims; ‘Welcome to our church. The church is open every day – please enter and enjoy it!’

There is a further welcome notice in the porch. There were several people inside when I entered. 217 in the visitors book in the last 20 days. There is a small stall with lots of different prayer cards and book marks for sale, as well as a selection of the excellent Tim Tilley booklets. Also a church guide. There is a children’s guide to the local area.

Because of the villages association with the famous Widecome Fair there is a display on this which features a model of the horse and it’s riders. For the pilgrim there is a votive stand to use and an intercession book (well used) in a quiet area set aside for prayer. A lovely church to visit and a lot of effort has gone into welcoming people here. I rate it as very good.

A wonderful church on Dartmoor. This is a tiny scattered community of only around 100 people yet they are blessed with this gem of a church. It is famous for it’s clock face which, instead of numbers has letters which spell out ‘MY DEAR MOTHER’. This was put up in 1930 as a gift from William Whitley in memory of his mother. The chimes play ‘All things bright and beautiful’ on the quarter hour. I m not sure that I would like to live next door.

Inside found a leaflet about the bells, a church guide and leaflet, post cards and tea cloths for sale. For children there are two simple trays set up with toys, games and colouring. Any church could provide that. There are some used books for sale which seems to be common and some jig saws to borrow which must be unique.

This really is a wonderful church in a delightful setting. Well worth a visit. 96 people in the visitors book over the last 19 days and some stats as to where visitors have come from. I rate St. Peter’s as good.

A lovely church to visit which is open every day. The sign outside only lists services but there is a welcome in the porch and a suggestion that the visitor might like to go onto Buckland on the Moor which is under the same management.

Inside, there are some paddle boards to wander around with. There is a guide book and some cards for sale. This is an interesting church to visit but only 8 people had signed the visitors book in the last 19 days.

St. Catherine’s chapel is set aside for prayer and this has the blessed sacrament housed there and a prayer book for intercessions. For younger visitors there is a children’s corner as many churches now have.

I rate St. Andrew’s as good.

Bath was heaving with visitors. The Abbey is in a prime location, right next to the famous Roman Baths and the shopping area. There were several street performers around as well. Visitors obviously come from all over the world and a visit to the Abbey is part of the itinerary. The signage outside is very clear and very good. On entering there is some pressure to donate (£2.50 is suggested) but this is not unreasonable. I was handed a welcome leaflet by a professional lady, one of a team of people on duty. The leaflet is very good, giving both a plan, an outline of Jesus’ life and a time line of significant dates. All of them seemed knowledgeable and friendly. They need to be here. This is more like a cathedral than a parish church and the visitor ministry has to be well done. Tower tickets can be purchased and this is obviously popular. I saw three votive stands, all full of candles. There is also a book of remembrance for those who died in the second world war, principally in the air raids on the city. Also a display called the ‘Bath Abbey Triptyche’. This is very good. I followed two Muslim women through this who were very interested in how the Bible stories were told. There is also a history display. As well as one about what happens through the year at the Abbey. They even ask visitors to fill in a survey form – this is the first time I have seen this done. There were also some ‘The Jesus Book’, a version of Mark’s gospel for visitors.

There were lots of visitors whilst I was there. It is a bit overwhelming. Several were chatting on phones and there isn’t much of a ‘holy’ atmosphere here. I have noted this at other very well visited churches. Perhaps not the place to come for a quiet encounter with God but I rate it as very good.

Malmesbury Abbey

I hadn’t been to Malmesbury for a long time. It is a delightful little town which seems to have escaped the worst effects of the economic downturn. It is bustling and vibrant. There is also an excellent fish and chip shop there with crisp battered fish and wonderful chips. But to the Abbey!

Essentially what we see today is the nave of the former abbey. In it’s heyday it would have been vast. Today there is much of interest. The Abbey is open every day and there are some friendly and helpful stewards on duty. When I asked about numbers visiting one of these was able to produce a book in which the daily count is entered. She told me that in August 2012 they had had just short of 30,000 people through the door. This is a very well visited church, and deservedly so. The needs of the visitor and tourist and well thought out. There is a cafe run in the church which was busy at the time of my visit. There are lots of history displays including some Medieval manuscripts in lit display cabinets. They have spent money here in order to cater for their visitors. The old church silver is also displayed properly. There are several types of guide leaflets and booklets available as well as some on local history. Even a very good children’s visual history – a very rare find. An art display was in part of the church at my visit and this seemed to be gaining a lot of interest. Music was being played quietly in the background.

Quiet prayer…

There is a chapel for quiet prayer with a votive stand and a prayer request box. King Athelstan’s tomb is made quite a bit of as well.

I rate Malmesbury Abbey as excellent. A lot of effort has gone into making this a good place to visit. Highly recommended.

All Saints, Wokingham

All Saints Wokingham

All Saints Church are holding a flower festival – ‘Worship the Lord’ this weekend (12th – 14th July)

Flower Festivals are a popular Summer activity for churches. In this case it is built around the commissioning of a complete new set of vestments – made by Croft Design. These were the result of a legacy from Eric Rands who was a worshipper here and who loved art. They are lovely as were the flower displays. The church was busy with visitors despite my visit being on the first day – Friday. This is the first flower festival they have done here since 1990.

There was a good welcome with some very friendly and helpful stewards and an excellent programme. Entrance is free and the programme £2.50. It contains much of interest.

Churchyard trail for younger children

Children were not forgotten as there are some treasure trails laid out in both the church and churchyard – a very good idea and I hope that they will be well used.

A clear welcome

All Saint’s is open  every day and advertises this with a good sign board

Inside, apart from the vestments and flowers, I noticed a prominent ‘Prayer Cross’. The visit can add prayer requests and this is well used – some 30 were on it. Again, an idea well worth copying! This was accompanied by a clear description of how to use this and a good welcome notice.

Prayer Cross

Here is a church who obviously takes their visitors seriously.

There is a children’s corner and even that rarest of things, a children’s guide! This is a home produced item and is very well done giving a plan of the building which is annotated with photos and descriptions of things of interest. Adults have a similar one. There didn’t appear to be a history of the church available. The Oxford Diocesan leaflets are used also.

Flower and Vestment display at All Saints

There were some 20 names in the visitors book over the last month – but I expect that this church gets many more than that.

The Lady Chapel is normally set aside for prayer but this was in use to display flowers and the folder of prayers and  prayer  books had been tidied up. Personally, I would have left them out as an indication that this is a place that is regulary prayed in. Tidiness is not always a good idea in church!

On my visit there were some handbell ringers which added a lovely atmosphere to the church. Visitors seemed to be appreciating this.

I enjoyed my visit here and rate All Saints as very good for the purposes of this study. I woudl think that this woudl apply whenever a visitor came here and not just for the Flower Festival.

Website at http://www.allsaintswokingham.org.uk – a good website but doesn’t have any specific visitor information on it.

St. Mary’s, Henley upon Thames

This church stands in a prominent postion beside the river. There had just been a wedding when I visited.

This is a n interesting church to visit. Outside there is an A board which says simply, ‘Open for silence, peace, prayer’ – says it all really. Several people wandered in to look around whilst I was there. There is no visitors book that I couls see. Postcards are on sale adn a few of the Oxford diocesan leaflets were available. Some paddle boards – in several different languages – are available for visitors to use.

Interior of St. Mary’s, Henley

This church has a cool and peaceful interior.

Children’s area

Behind an etched glass screen is a very good children’s area.

Prayer request cards are available as well as a votive stand.

A set of Stations of the Cross caught my eaye. These are modern ones – photos of some stone carvings. They are very good. A leaflet of explanation would be good here to explain their significance and use.

The Sacrament is reserved here. There is a website at http://www.stmaryshenley.org.uk but it is just a list of headings. It would be good to finish it!

St. Mary’s is well worth visiting and I rate it as good for this study.

A couple more churches following a visit to Windsor.

St. Peter & St. Andrews, Old Windsor

St. Peter and St. Andrew, Old Windsor

A quieter place with a lovely church – unfortunately locked with no indication of when it might be open outside of service times.

Website at http://www.oldwindsorchurch.org.uk has no indication of visitor times. A shame as this is a church well worth seeing.

St. John the Baptist, High Street, Windsor

St. John the Baptist, Windsor

This is a very well visited church being just along the road from Windsor Castle. There were many visitors today from many different countries. St. John’s caters well for them. Outside there is a clear sign which says that the church is open and welcomes visitors.

Welcome leaflets

Inside the porch are some more ‘Welcome’ signs and a table with leaflets on it. The usual (and very good ) Oxford Diocesan range and some simple bookmark style leaflets in no less than 23 different languages! This reflects the diversity of people who visit Windsor. There are some laminated leaflets outlining the church’s history as well as postcards and note lets to buy.

One other feature I liked was a couple of posters which say  that visitors are welcome to take photographs – a bit different from some I have seen! This is typical of the thought which has gone into providing for the many visitors to this church. There are two visitors books on the go and they had a total of 40 names for this month so far (it is only the 9th). There were a lot of people coming and going whilst I was there and not one of them signed the book … It is my conclusion, both from here and from many other churches that many are getting far more visitors than they realise.

There are four prayer stations around the church, based around Psalm 139, with an accompanying leaflet. These are very good and I saw visitors engaging with them which was nice. More churches could do with following this example as it does go down very well and also indicates that here is a living church which takes the needs of the world seriously.

There are 2 prayer request boxes and a votive stand to use – all in use.

There is much to see at St. John’s. A display of people who are members of the church, a MU display about their work, and some history items which tell the stories of various people, some famous and some less so who have been associated with the church . All good stuff.

Also worth seeing here is the wonderful painting of the Last Supper on the West wall – very impressive.

There is a website at http://www.achurchnearyou.com/benefice.php?B=27/350AR

All in all, I am impressed with St. John’s. I rate it as excellent and this is a good example of how to minister in a tourist ‘hot spot’. Well worth looking at.

One recent feature has been the growth of ‘Church Festivals’ around the country. Currently there is one running near me – the Chilterns Festival from 11th – 26th May (see http://www.chilternschurchesfestival.org for more details). I have had a look at a few churches that are a part of this.

St. Thomas, Holtspur

A striking modern building that is usually open. Not every church will be historically significant but every church can have a ministry of welcome to local people who may come in seeking peace, quiet or to pray.

St. Thoma’s had set up a labyrinth as part of the festival – laid out on a large piece of canvas on the floor. It is to encourage the pilgrim to reflect on the journey of faith by using Psalm 139. It was very well done. I found that I was their first visitor to try this!

Labyrinth laid out at St. Thomas

There were also a number of ‘Prayer stations’ around the building a fair trade stall and refreshments were on offer. Gentle music was being played in the background. There was also a votive stand to use and a prayer tree. One of the friendly people there told me that this was a new venture for them. It was all very well done.

St. Thomas interior

There was a range of the excellent Oxford Diocesan leaflets and a small pile of ‘Why Jesus’. A notebook had been left out to put comments into and I was encouraged to do this.

All in all I rate this as very good and this is an idea which dersves to be widely adopted. Well worth a visit.

St. Mary and All Saints, Beaconsfield

St. Mary and All Saints Beaconsfield

A grand church right at the centre of Old Beaconsfield. It is open every day from 9am – 6pm. The main signboard proudly proclaims this which is good to see.. Inside I found a free ‘Short Guide’ and there is a bigger one available for a modest £1.50. The free sheet gives most of the information an interested visitor might like to know. The larger booklet is an excellent publication with many colour photos. I also found a ‘Welcome to St. Mary and All Saints Church Beaconsfield’ folded leaflet giving details of staff and church activities. Also very well done. It is obvious that this is a church which is trying hard to welcome both mid week and Sunday visitors.

There is also a full; range of the Oxford Diocesan leaflets – which are succinct and well produced. The church website is at-

http://www.stmarysbeaconsfield.org.uk/home.htm This clearly says, on the home page, ‘Our church is open daily for worship, prayer and reflection. We hope to see you soon…‘ Excellent!There is a votive stand to use as well as a very well used prayer requests book. This is a church which is prayed in – on a reading desk was a copy of Common Worship Daily Prayer, open on the correct day, with a lectionary and a bible. This is always good to see. Sometimes we are too tidy! Churches exist for prayer and it is so good to see one being used for this.

Lovely welcome notice

There are some toy bags for children and 23 people had signed the visitors book in the last month.

By the visitors book there is a very good welcome notice. And the following comment had been written in – this was dated Wednesday 24th April; ‘Here when I needed it and welcomed me with magnetic attraction.’ This one simple comment illustrates nicely why our churches should be open.

I rate St. Mary and All Saints as very good.

St. Michael and All Angels, Beaconsfield

St. Michael and All Saints, Beaconsfield

A church I have never visited before in the newer part of Beaconsfield. The church website is at http://www.stmichaelsbeaconsfield.org.uk/ and says; ‘

St Michael’s Church is open every day.

You are very welcome to come in for personal prayer or quiet time.’

The visitors book had only been signed 5 times this year but I expect many more people than that have been in. St. Michael’s is an interesting church and is very well kept. There was no history but again the Oxford Diocese leaflets were available.

St. Michael’s interior

There is a prayer board, which is well used and a votive stand which had no candles. There was a reason for this – this is the first time I have come across this.

Problems with candles?

There was one thing that I particularly liked here – a simple leaflet which is entitled’ When no one is here’. It goes on to say ‘ God is always here and we want you to know that you are welcome to – spend time looking around – to be still – to sit quietly and pray – to light a candle (but see above!) – to write a prayer request – to use the prayer walk leaflet (these seem to have been all used)‘ A good response to visitors.

I like St Michael’s very much and rate is as very good for the visitor. It would be nice to have the candles back!

Holy Trinity, Penn

Holy Trinity, Penn

Holy Trinity is open every day. I found the door open, welcoming me inside. The sign outside doesn’t say that the church is open but on the reverse it does exhort me to ‘go in peace to love and serve the Lord’.

Welcome to Holy Trinity

Once inside I found a glass and jug of water for thirsty wayfarers. There are some lovely etched glass doors into what is a delightful church. It is well worth a visit. There are cards for sale and some information leaflets on items of interest such as the ‘Penn Doom.’ Also some notable tiles.

The Doom at Penn – which was nearly taken to the tip!

There was also a nice children’s booklet on the church, ‘Search and see’ – a lot of effort had gone into this. It is a pity that these aren’t for sale being stamped, ‘Not to be taken away.’ There is also a folder on burial records which will be useful to those searching for family graves and a folder on the colourful kneelers here.

A prayer book was also open on a table and people had used this recently. The church website is at http://www.pennandtylersgreen.co.uk/global/holytrinity.asp It implies that the church is open rather than actually saying so!

I rate Penn as good for the visitor.

An interesting afternoon out! The Chilterns Church Festival is well worth supporting.