churchtourismstudy

A few more churches I have visited today.

St. Mary’s, Painswick

St. Mary’s is a magnificent church, surrounding by it’s famous churchyard with it’s table tombs and 99 yew trees (it is actually 100 now despite the legend that the devil would pull the 100th up).

It is open every day and receives a goodly number of visitors, and deserves too as it is a fine church. They have put a lot of effort into welcoming visitors here too. There is a good welcome sign in the porch and inside there are some laminated history guides to walk around with. These are in no less than 14 different languages which is impressive. Also some guides to buy and some postcards. There are also guides on the bells and a ‘What do Christians believe?’ leaflet which gives a simple outline of the faith. It is well produced (the text comes from the Norwich Diocese). Also some ‘Word for Today’ booklets. The churchyard is a very notable feature of this church so it is no surprise to find a booklet on that, ‘God’s acre; a guide to St. Mary’s churchyard’. There is a display on the tombs inside the church and some plans to conserve them. The visitors book had 200+ names in it in the last month. For pilgrims there is a prayer chapel to use with a prayer board to add prayers and two ‘Prayers to share’ folders with a very good selection of suitable material. Also a votive stand. One other notable feature of the interior are the many colourful kneelers. There is a folder detailing these as well. Also some Christian books for sale.

I had been recommended this church because of the efforts made to explain the Christian faith to visitors. There are some interpretation boards mounted onto music stands. These are put out after the services on a Sunday. They feature the font, pulpit, sanctuary, altar etc. and explain in simple ways what they are used for. A very good idea.

The children of the church have made a large Olympic flame which is on display. This is part of ‘Messy Church’ which has become increasingly popular.

All in all this is a good church to visit. I rate it as very good. I would give it an excellent if there was some material for children. Well worth a visit.

Website on http://stmaryspainswick.org.uk/

Holy Ascension, Oddington

I had visited this on the 5th July and found it locked but had heard that it was now open so dropped in.

This has been subject to a project to turn a Victorian church into the much more user friendly ‘Evenlode Vale Church Centre’. It is very well done and still smells new! Not a smell I have often come across in the churches I have been visiting. The sign outside is Okay but doesn’t say that the church is open. There is a welcome notice in the porch. There isn’t a visitors book nor much else at present but there is a display about the Benefice. A thoughtful idea is a labelled switch to put the lights on. This is an interesting project which deserves every success. The modern fittings installed look to be of good quality. From the point of view of this survey there isn’t yet anything really for the visitor. This may come in time so I haven’t rated it.

More details on www.evenlodevalechurches.org

St. Nicholas, Oddington

I had tried this before but it was locked. It was open this time and well worth seeing. A very atmospheric church with no electric light. This church is famous for it’s wall paintings – there is a leaflet about these. Most of these wall paintings have disappeared over the years in other churches. St. Nicholas wasn’t used much from 1851 – 1912 so this saved them. They had been whitewashed over at the Reformation and were discovered in 1913. It gives a good idea of what a medieval church would have been like. They are rather special.

To look at visitors. There are no signs outside but inside is a laminated plan of points of interest to wander around with. A very instructive leaflet about the wall paintings and a small guide leaflet. The visitors book reveals 87 visitors in the last month. This church is sought out. There are six bells here and a sanctus bell. I rate this as Okay but I like it very much and recommend a visit.

More details on www.evenlodevalechurches.org

St. Mary the Virgin, Wootton by Woodtsock

Another church I had been recommended to visit. This is a lovely church in this Oxfordshire village. It is open and there is a very welcoming sign outside which invites the visitor in for a time of peace and quiet.

Inside, I found no guide book but some bible notes to take and some postcards. One of which features Francis Kilvert’s (the famous nineteenth century curate of Clyro) marriage certificate as he was married here. His wife, Elizabeth Rowland lived in the village. Probably a story to make more of. For children there are some books and toys around. Another good Messy Church display here to look at as well. There is a side chapel for prayer with a good selection of prayer books and a prayer board to use. A Bible is open on the lectern. One thing that really struck me here was the number of World War One memorials to be seen, including some wooden crosses which had been brought back from France and Belgium and hung on the wall. Again, some more stories to tell. Only 5 visitors in the book, one of which had grumbled about the 20th century memorials in the church. I rate this church as good but there is certainly more that could be done here by way of telling the stories of those who have been connected with St. Mary’s over the years.

There doesn’t seem to be a website but there is a brief entry on achurchnearyou.

St. Mary Magdalene, Woodstock

This church stands in the centre of this small town. A sign is placed outside telling passers by that the church is open. Inside there are some Oxford Diocese leaflets, ‘Christianity a Simple Guide’ and ‘Pilgrimage, a simple guide.’ There is a guide to buy, some ‘bats’ to walk around with, cards and post cards for sale and a folder about the many kneelers here ( featuring local themes). There is a small children’s area to use. 10 people in the new visitors book in the last week. Some books for sale, including children’s ones. A prayer corner is set up and there is a prayer board to use.

In the chancel there is hung up an altar frontal which for St. Nicholas. This has an explanation of who he was. There is an open Bible as well. Also, another Messy Church Olympic torch. One unusual survival is a World War one ‘Roll of Honour’ giving the names of those serving in the armed forces from Woodstock.

I rate this church as very good from the point of view of this study.

Website at http://parishes.oxford.anglican.org/bladon-woodstock/

A couple more churches on the west side of London.

St. Mary’s, Harrow on the Hill

The road sign pointing to St. Mary’s proudly says that this church was consecrated in 1094. This was by St. Anselm. A long and proud heritage. The church is easy to find both because of the road sign and also because the spire is such a landmark. With the famous school next door and a maze of narrow streets it is sometimes hard to believe that this is part of London.

St. Mary’s is open every day. Inside I found 3 different guides, some of these multi lingual, and guides to the bells and stained glass. There are also some postcards for sale. Children have an area to use with a large amount of teddies! There is much that is good here. A history display outlines some changes that the church hope to make as well as giving some context. The church staff and PCC members have their pictures displayed as well. Some of the many memorials here are accompanied by some laminated explanations. This is something that I have not often seen. Some of the church lights come on automatically when you approach certain areas. A votive stand is provided too.

There were 74 names in the visitors book in the last month.

I rate St. Mary’s as good.

St. Martin’s, Ruislip

Another ancient church in a suburb of London. There has been a real effort to welcome the visitor to St. Martin’s. For a start, the sign outside says that the church is open every day from 8.30am – 4pm. The main, west door, was open and there are glass doors into the church itself. Some lights are left on. There is a real sense of peace and prayer here. The welcome leaflet says ‘it is a place were people meet every day to pray together, where they can experience times of quiet and reflection as well as joyous celebration.’ This church feels as if that is the case. Apart from the welcome leaflet, there is a good range of literature on offer here. ‘A Prayer Walk Around the Church’ really caught my eye. This is well thought out and produced. Prayer cards and post cards are on offer too. Also a couple of leaflets about Ligugé Abbey, which was founded by St. Martin in 361. There are also guides to the bells, heraldry and stained glass here as well as a good range of the excellent Gospel Imprint leaflets. New Daylight’ and ‘Upper Room’ Bible reading notes can be picked up here as well. There is a history on some hand bats to carry around. There is a children’s area under the tower.

A well used votive stand and prayer board cater for the prayer needs of visitors. Again, there were pictures of the staff and PCC members etc as a reminder that this is a living church community in Ruislip. There were some Christian books for sale, especially children’s. Surprisingly, only 2 people in the visitors book in the last month. This church deserves, and I expect gets, many more than that.

All in all, I rate St. Martin’s as very good. Recommended.

Another day in London. This time in the West of the city.

St. John’s, Waterloo

This large church sits directly opposite Waterloo station. Along with many other churches, it was severely damaged in the war but rebuilt, re opening in 1951. Today it was busy as an orchestral rehearsal was going on. It is open every day and the sign outside welcomes visitors. Inside, there are laminated history guides to carry around and a few other leaflets, including one about the organ which is a magnificent instrument. Felix Mendelssohn played it. There is a votive stand to use as well as a prayer board for intercessions. I didn’t count the visitors book. The churches website is at http://www.stjohnswaterloo.org/this doesn’t give any information for visitors outside service times.

I rate this church as Okay. More could be done to welcome and inform the visitor.

St. Paul’s Covent Garden

Covent Garden was very busy with visitors today, the usual street performers were drawing quite a crowd outside the church. The church is approached through the churchyard, in itself a delightful space and much used by people to escape the busyness of the area. The signage is very good and encourages people to come inside. One of the church cats was in residence also welcoming visitors! Inside there are lots of plaques commemorating various actors as befits the ‘Actor’s Church’. Two musicians were rehearsing – Mizuki Shindo ( Flute) & Kayoko Sugimura (Piano), and very good they were. This gave a lovely atmosphere to the church and visitors sat and quietly listened. There is a votive stand to use here and a leaflet, ‘To help you Pray’ gives some classic prayers and also suggestions to help those who are not sure how or what to pray. There was a flyer for a ‘Children’s Garden’ to be held here. There is a church guide available and 30 people had signed the visitors book in the last 2 days (a loose leaf booklet). The website is at www.actorschurch.org. This gives good visitor information as well as an interesting page about the Church of England. I rate this church as good.

Again, more could be done for the visitor, although the numbers who must come in have to be born in mind. This cannot be an easy place to minister.

St. Mary Le Strand

This is a lovely church to visit. Despite it’s position on a traffic island it manages to be a haven of peace. The signs outside were very good making it very clear that the church was both open and welcomes visitors. Inside, I found some prayer sheets as well as guides in various languages. Also the Faith Walks leaflets from the Diocese of London. For sale are 1stday covers, key fobs and post cards. There is a small history display and book to enter prayer request into and a votive stand to use. The churches website is at http://www.stmarylestrand.org/this simple site gives very clear information for visitors.

I rate this church as good. Well worth a look.

St. Clement Danes, Strand

St. Clement Danes is the central church of the RAF and is therefore rather an unusual one. It is open every day and the signs outside give a good welcome. Inside there are many reminders of the RAF, with memorials of various sorts to air force personnel. Books of remembrance record many names of those who gave their lives. There is a good tourist guide for general visitors and one for serving RAF members. Also another guide with a stunning photo of the magnificent roof of the church. There is a votive stand to use and many candles were burning on my visit. The visitors book had 127 names in the last month.

There is a crypt here which is a lovely quiet place with an open Bible. This is an unusual and interesting church to visit and I rate it as good for the purposes of this study.

St. Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square

This very well known church was busy today. Yet, what really struck me was how respectful and quiet the visitors were. I am not sure why this was so here. Many busy churches can seem just like a tourist attraction, but St. Martin’s was different. It is a prayerful place, an oasis of peace in a busy place. I found several leaflets of interest, ‘The story of St. Martin in the Fields’ is a simple guide to the history of the church. ‘Liturgies for Life’ is an unusual leaflet which sets out a theological perspective on the journey of life and how it might be marked by the church. Very good. I love the east window here – simple yet very effective. The website is at http://www.smitf.org/page/home/home.htmland this gives a lot of information for the visitor. There is a shop in the crypt with lots of gifts etc., as well as a cafe and art exhibition.

There didn’t seem to be a visitors book so no count was made. This is a very good church to visit and I rate it as very good.

St. Giles in the Fields, St. Giles High Street

Yet another interesting church to visit. Again, very clear signs welcome the visitor. A food stall operates in the churchyard. The website is at http://www.stgilesonline.org/and gives opening times, as well as a nice page on prayer. There is a lot of information for the visitor in the church. On a table inside the door is a pile of cards inviting visitors to keep in touch. Also a card with the text of The General Thanksgiving on one side and another Prayer Book collect on the other. There is a leaflet also ‘Information for Visitors’ which gives both history and service details. Another nice leaflet gives details of the life of the church. There is another with prayer guidance and ‘The Christian Faith an Introduction for Newcomers.’ The text of this is also on the website. I picked up the church’s newsletter, ‘The Pelican’ which is very good.

St. Giles has made a real effort to both welcome and inform their many visitors (only 10 in the last month had signed the visitors book! – another loose leaf one which might make a difference). I rate this as very good.

St. George’s, Hanover Square

On my visit the new organ was being tuned and voiced so absolute silence was requested whilst the organ produced various squeaks and whistles. There was a board outside which tells all passers by that the church is open. There is a good leaflet for visitors as well as one on ‘St George’s and the USA’ (there are many links) and one entitled, ‘St George’s – Handel’s Church’, this also gives details of the new organ which sounds like a superb instrument. There is a small display of both the history and people who have been associated with St. George’s. A church guide is available from the vestry.

The website is at http://www.stgeorgeshanoversquare.org/ and gives opening times etc as well as a history of the church. I rate this church as good.

All Saints, Margaret Street

A marvellous church hidden down a side street. The church is open every day and is associated with the ‘Faith Walks’ scheme. The door was open and the signs outside make it clear that visitors are welcome. There is a steward on duty who was both friendly and knowledgeable. There is a range of Gospel imprint leaflets, guides – a brief one for free and a coloured one for a very reasonable £2. Also CD’s of music recorded here are for sale. A small bookstall stocks a good range. Surprisingly only 30 people had signed the visitors book in the last month. This church must get many more visitors than that. The website is at http://www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk/and features a video ‘A day in the life of All Saints’.

It also gives more information on history and worship here. I rate this church as very good for the visitor.

All Souls, Langham Place

All Souls is almost completely the opposite of All Saints, yet they are very close to each other. All Souls is a famous evangelical church, designed by John Nash. It sits next to the BBC and is a distinctive building. Inside, it is spotless and well cared for. It is open every day and the signage says as much. Inside, in the foyer, there are some leaflets to pick up a card ‘For all For now For ever For you’, which advertises the church, Christianity Explored and Bible Gateway, a website where the Bible can be read in almost any language. There is also a simple explanation of the Christian faith, ‘Jesus. Who, why..so what?’ , produced by the good book company. Another is a very topical ‘More than Conquerors’ by More than Gold which is produced for the Paralympic Games which started yesterday!

There is also a ‘Welcome to All Souls Church’ giving details of the life of the church. All these reflect the churches worship tradition. The website http://www.allsouls.org/ gives much detail about the life of the church also, as well as sermons. There is a history guide available at £3.50. There is much going on here but I don’t really feel that casual visitors are really catered for. I have to rate All Souls as Okay in this respect. Incidentally you can find a Mystery Worshipper report on Ship of Fools at http://www.ship-of-fools.com/mystery/specials/london_05/reports/1062.html

St. Marylebone, Marylebone Road

Another distinctive church on the busy Marylebone Road. It is hard to get a good photo of the exterior without getting run over! This church is open every day. The website is at http://www.stmarylebone.org/and gives much information about the church and about it’s healing ministry. It is open every day and is a real haven of peace. Several people were sitting quietly whilst I was there. There is a history guide, CD’s for sale as well as postcards and notelets. It is also has ‘Faith Walks’ leaflets.

There are multi lingual church guides and a laminated one to walk around with. A votive stand is there to use and they stock several of the Gospel imprint leaflets. This church is well worth a visit and I rate it as good.

St. Cyprian’s, Clarence Gate

I have never visited this church, despite it’s close proximity to Marylebone Station. It was locked today but is open sometimes – Thursdays 11.30 – 2pm and Sundays. They are having an open day on Saturday 1^st September10 – 4pm. The website is at http://www.stcyprians.org.uk/and gives more information. It looks well worth a visit. Not rated (yet!). One unusual feature is an external sign which explains who St. Cyprian was.

The Church Tourism Study sallies forth again – this time to the City of London. There are some very interesting churches to visit here.

 

Holy Redeemer, Clerkenwell

 

Situated on the bustling Exmouth Market, I got there just as all the stalls were being set up. This is a very distinctive church with it’s Italianate design, apparently based on Santo Spirito in Florence.

The church was locked but with a sign to ring the bell to gain entry. The signs outside give the usual details. Inside, I found an ornate interior and there is much to see. There are some prayer cards to purchase and a guide to the church, a simple yet informative one. There didn’t seem to be a visitors book but there is a prayer book to enter intercessions into as well as a couple of votive stands to use. There are a couple of boxes of children’s books and toys as well to keep younger visitors amused. The website is on http://www.rainbowinformation.com/hr/ . This in itself gives quite a bit more information and some links that are worth exploring. The Ship of Fools Mystery Worshipper has been here too – read the report on

http://www.ship-of-fools.com/mystery/2002/590Mystery.html

This really a wonderful church to visit and I rate it as good from the point of this study.

 

St. Vedast, Foster Lane.

 

 

Another of my favourite London churches. St. Vedast lies in the shadow of St. Paul’s Cathedral. It suffered badly in the blitz but was fortunately rebuilt. It is open every day and the sign outside says so too. There was a friendly steward inside and another lady was cleaning the floor. This church is spotless. There was a church guide and some leaflets on The Friends of the City of London Churches’ (www.london-city-churches.org.uk ). Rather surprisingly, only 5 people had signed the visitors book in the last month – it is on a small table to the left of the main church door. This church has a wonderful interior and there is a small chapel to use for prayer as well as a votive stand. Also, there is a small courtyard to sit in next to the church. A little haven of peace in the city but the smell of cooking from the restaurant next door made me hungry! The church website can be found on http://www.vedast.org.uk/

 

I rate St. Vedast as good.

 

St. Lawrence Jewry, next Guildhall

 

I hadn’t got this on my list to visit but when in as I was going past. I’m glad I did. A lot of effort has gone into welcoming visitors and in providing items of interest for them when they get there. The church is open Mon – Friday and the signs outside make this clear and that visitors are welcome. There are guides to buy as well as a selection of the excellent Gospel imprint leaflets (http://www.gospelimprint.com/) . Also, CD’s of music performed in the church and a book about the windows. Very unusually there is a leaflet which explains the church logo and it’s symbolism. Just inside the church is a small chapel which has been set up as a prayer room. This is based around some bible passages and is thought provoking. A candle can be lit there as well and there are leaflets which explain how this chapel can be used. A lot of thought has gone into this. There are also leaflets available on Spiritual Direction and some prayers upon lighting a candle. In the main part of the church, there is an open Bible and some displays on the eleven livery companies which have associations with St. Lawrence Jewry. Prayer requests can also be left. There are some cards to buy as well and coffee is on offer in return for a £1 donation. The churches website is on http://www.stlawrencejewry.org.uk/ and gives much more information.

 

All in all, I rate this church as very good.

 

St. Mary Le Bow, Cheapside

 

The tower of this church is an imposing presence on Cheapside. It is open every day with a cafe in the crypt. The signs make all this very clear. In the entrance hall is a modern Madonna, in front of which candles can be lit without entering the church proper. There was a display of Gospel Imprint leaflets which explain many facets of the Christian faith. There is a guide, ‘One Thousand Years of History’, in English, French, Italian and Spanish. There is also a guide to the famous bells and a larger guide book is available too. The interior is striking with modern windows being a reminder that here is another church all but destroyed in the war. It wasn’t rebuilt until 1964. There are some displays about the churches history. There is another place to light votive candles, this time a pot. The church website is http://www.stmarylebow.co.uk/ This features a short film about the church and the life of the congregation here – recommended.

 

 

 

I rate St. Mary le Bow as very good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Sepulchre, Newgate

 

The largest parish church in the City. I was looking forward to having a look around this church but it is only open on the Wednesday this week and no other times. Thsi was only shown by a small sign which I at first missed on my attempt to work out how to get inside. The website http://www.st-sepulchre.org.uk tells me that the church is open every day 10am – 2pm which it plainly isn’t. There are currently no regular services either until a new priest is appointed. Let’s hope that this happens soon. There were several people who were disappointed at not being able to get visit. This is a shame so I have to rate this as very poor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Bride’s, Fleet Street

 

Happily, this church was open and is another one well worth a visit. It is known as the journalist’s church as befits its position it what was once the home of the print industry. Visitors are encouraged. In part this is by welcoming signs. Inside there is a bookstall with guidebooks, pencils, pens, mugs, CD’s, post cards, Prayer Books etc. There is a selection of children’s books and bibles too. Also the ‘New Daylight’ bible reading notes. Guided tours are arranged sometimes. The blessed sacrament is reserved here and there is a prayer board to leave intercessions on, as well as a votive stand. Two things especially caught my eye. The first is the modern stations of the cross which are some photographs. These really bring out the meaning of Good Friday. Then there is an altar with memorials to journalists, and other media employees, who have lost their lives in pursuit of their work. This is very moving and it was very noticeable what effect this was having on the visitors who stood and looked at it. It engendered a sense of prayerfulness. We are not always aware of the cost of our 24 hour news coverage.

 

In the crypt is well worth a visit as it gives quite a bit of history on this part of London.

A simple prayer card has been produced, giving a prayer at the top and a tear off slip on which to write the names of people or causes for which prayer is requested. This can be left on the prayer board for the church to pray, whilst the top prayer can be taken away. A very good idea. There was also a leaflet, ‘What do Christians believe?’ which sets out a brief description of our faith. This is also very good. In fact, overall I rate this church as very good for the visitor.

 

The church website is at http://www.stbrides.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Andrew’s by the Wardrobe, Blackfriars

 

From a very good church to a very poor one. According to the website

( http://www.standrewbythewardrobe.net/) the church should be open every day. But it was firmly locked on my visit. There appeared to be no signs telling me when I would be able to get in. I have to rate this as very poor. It is a wasted opportunity as there were a lot of people around when I was there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christchurch, Blackfriars

 

At first sight Christchurch doesn’t seem to offer much. A 1950’s brick built utilitarian building on Blackfriars Road. An earlier building was destroyed during the war. The area around the church is now large building site. This is an area which is changing fast.

Christchurch is open every day and the signs do given a good welcome to visitors. There are some leaflets about the Christian faith available, ‘You are my child whom I love with you I am well pleased’ is simply a selection of affirming Bible verses. ‘To help you pray’ gives some prayers and ideas for prayer. There was also a copy of the famous ‘Footprints’ poem and some gospels, as well as a welcome and guide leaflet. There is more here to see than you might think, although there were only 4 visitors in the book over the last month. There is a votive stand to use and a laminated guide to Christchurch’s principle treasure, which is it’s stained glass windows. These depict facets of Southwark working life, old and new.

They are quite stunning and it is worth spending some time studying them. They also feature on the church’s website http://www.christchurchsouthwark.org.uk . This is an unusual church but worthy of inclusion in Leigh Hatts book ‘London’s 100 Best Churches’

 

I rate it as good for this study.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. James’s, Garlickhythe

 

This is a wonderful building with the figure of St, James and his pilgrim staff on top of the clock face. Unfortunately it was locked and the sign outside tells me that it is only open on Thursdays from 11 – 2.30pm. It would be nice if that was put on the website to avoid a wasted visit http://stjamesgarlickhythe.org/

I haven’t rated St. James.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Stephen’s, Walbrook

 

Nearby is another great church surrounded by yet more building. It is open on weekdays from 10am – 4pm. The doors were open to invite the visitor inside, and it is well worth going in. The interior has been re ordered with some notable fittings and furniture. The altar is particularly striking, being an eight ton block of stone carved by Henry Moore. The lovely modern pews curve around it. Inside there is a leaflet on Henry Moore and the church and some from The Friends of City Churches. They also sell key fobs for 50p each. I also picked up a postcard about the London Internet Church – www.londoninternetchurch.org.ukwhich is an initiative by the Diocese of London. St. Stephen’s is the home of this. Worth a look at. But to return to St. Stephen’s proper, their website,

http://www.ststephenwalbrook.net/ also features a video, giving a potted history and downloads of a history guide as well as many other things. The chanting over it gets bit irritating though after a while. It is also here that Chad Varah founded the Samaritans.

I like this church very much and rate it as good from a church tourism point of view.

34 people had signed the visitors book in the last month.

 

St. Mary at Hill,

 

Nearby is St Mary’s. This too was locked. The sign outside told me that there is a Holy Communion service at 1pm on a Wednesday, and a recital at 1.05pm on a Thursday. The website – http://www.stmary-at-hill.org/ does say that the church is usually open on Tuesday’s Wednesday’s and Thursday’s. It wasn’t on the Tuesday I visited. It is not always easy for churches to keep to their advertised opening times but it would be easy enough to put on the website that it is to be closed.

I have to rate this as poor as a consequence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Magnus the Martyr, Lower Thames Street

 

Yet another church surrounded by building work. St. Magnus is open Tuesday’s to Friday’s 10am – 4pm. The signs outside make this plain. It is certainly worth a visit. It is one of those Anglican churches where you are not sure if you have actually strayed into a Roman Catholic one. The scent of incense hangs heavy in the air and can be seen swirling in the sunlight through the high windows. There is much to see here. There are some church guides and gospels available, as well as some prayer cards. Also a leaflet on the Fraternity of Our Lady De Salve Regina which exists to promote devotion to our Lady through the singing, or saying, daily of the Salve Regina as well as prayer. The church website http://www.stmagnusmartyr.org.uk/ gives more details. I found some secondhand books for sale here. There are votive stands to use and many statues to look at. There is also a good model of the Old London Bridge. A prayer board can be used for intercessions.

 

A most interesting church which I rate as very good.

 

All Hallows by the Tower

 

All Hallows was very busy with visitors. Many would reckon this as being the most visited church in England. They could well be right. Visitors are invited in by plenty of signs outside. The visitors book had so many entries that I didn’t count it up. There are some very friendly stewards on hand who also give guided tours. There is currently a display entitled ‘Bonuses, Benefits & Bailouts: The Morality of the King James Bible’. A good way to display the Bible and use it to give insight into the modern world. Much better than using odd verses to beat people over the head with! I enjoyed looking at this display, some items of which are very moving. The organ was being played whilst I was there. There are displays on the history of the church, and even more of this in the Crypt. The Undercroft Chapel is now columbarium, containing many rows of boxes in which are interred the ashes of those associated with the church or parish. There are guides available in many languages, a book and gift stall and a prayer board to use. Also a guide to Tubby Clayton and the work of Toc H. The churches website gives much more on http://allhallowsbythetower.org.uk/

 

I rate this church as very good. Thoroughly recommended.

 

St. Helen’s, Bishopgate

 

St. Helen’s is surrounded by building work and it is easy to miss it. The churches website (http://www.st-helens.org.uk/) says this; ‘Visiting the church building
The church building is open to visitors every day from Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 12.30pm, and entry is via the church office.  The building is also usually open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, but visitors are advised to telephone in advance to check.   There is a colour guidebook available which gives information about many of the historic features of the building.’

On my visit I found that the church was shut because of a meeting. It is probably best to check if you do want to visit here.

Not rated.

 

 

St. Botolph’s, Bishopgate

 

This church is open every day and the churchyard is a popular place to sit. The signage is Okay but the website http://www.botolph.org.uk/ gives details of when open, as well as a short welcome video and some information on just who St. Botolph was. There are regular midweek services here. Inside, I found a guide and a quiet chapel with an enormous prayer board which is cleared every Monday. There is a votive stand to use as well. A moving memorial here is to those who have died as a result of contaminated blood products. A memorial book lists many names.

 

I rate this church as okay plus for visitors.

 

Christchurch, Spitalfields

 

Spitalfields has seen many changes in recent years. The old market is now full of new stalls and the whole area has shed it’s run down image. The same goes for Christchurch. This church was nearly demolished years ago but is now beautifully refurbished and serves as a vibrant parish church. It is open most days but is often used as a venue for various functions. The website http://www.ccspitalfields.org/ gives more details.

There was a welcome notice outside as I approached giving a good welcome for the visitor. There are some friendly stewards in attendance and I was given a laminated guide to help me understand this church. The chancel step is designated as a place to pray and a notice does say that a steward will pray with a visitor if required. On the altar is an open Bible. There is also a prayer tree and a votive stand to use. Some round tables were set up at the west end of the church and each table had a bible on it. There are some leaflets around by sgm Life words, ‘InspiringPrayer’ and ‘Jesus, an introduction’ were seen. There were also some cards to buy.

 

I rate this church as good for the purposes of this study.

London 25th August 20112

I have today started to look around some London churches. Will there be differences in how they minister to visitors than the predominantly rural churches I have visited so far? Read on to find out.

St. Augustine’s, Kilburn

One of my favourite London churches. Simon Jenkin’s describes it thus, ‘It is as if the sanctuary were a casket of stone inside a shell of brick.’ It is a stunning building and is now, fortunately, open more often than it ever has been in recent years. This is reflected in the visitors book which had 129 entries in it for the last month. The sign outside doesn’t give opening times. There is a lovely welcome notice in the porch which explains clearly that this is a house of prayer and worship rather than just a beautiful old building. It is both. Inside, there is a small bookstall, with new and some secondhand theological books. You can also purchaser cards, tea towels, mugs ( a lot of churches seem to stock these) and a few other souvenirs, as well as guide books of various sorts. In the back of the guide are details of how to donate to St. Augstine’s through sending a text message. Children’s books are also for sale. There is a prayer request book and a couple of votive stands to use as well, along with votive cards. A very friendly man was on duty as a steward who put lights on so that I could take better pictures and offered any help he could. The website can be found at http://www.saugustinekilburn.org.uk and gives details of the opening times.

I rate this church as good and highly recommend a visit.

St. George the Martyr, Borough

St. George’s is open Saturday mornings, but you have to look at the website to see this as the signs outside do not mention it. It is a prominent and distinctive, Georgian church. It is well worth a visit. There was much activity on my visit as the church was having a good clean. The smell of polish denotes a church which is both well loved and well cared for. There appeared to be no guides or leaflets on the Christian faith There is a postcard which gives the website of the St George’s festival held each year. The church website is http://www.stgeorge-themartyr.co.uk/site/ . The visitors book showed 12 visitors in the last month. A votive stand and prayer area were available to use. Under my rating scheme this church would get an Okay.

St. Mary the Virgin, Rotherhithe

This church was open – with the door being left open to welcome visitors. There is a glass screen across the back of the church and this was locked as the church has suffered some recent break ins which caused quite a bit of damage. This should be only a temporary arrangement as new security is to be shortly installed. Fortunately, the Vicar, Fr Mark Nicholls was around and he gave me a guided tour. He is enthusiastic about this Georgian church, as well as knowledgeable about it’s history. It is an interesting church to visit. I found some guides (free), and even a children’s guide. On the locked side of the glass screen there is a prayer book for visitors to enter prayers into as well as some sheets to guide prayer.

There were some secondhand books for sale. In the church itself there is a votive stand to use. The website can be found on http://www.stmaryrotherhithe.org/ and this gives much information about the church.

I rate St. Mary’s as very good.

St. Margaret’s, Westminster

There was a long queue of tourists waiting to get into Westminster Abbey. There were many people wandering in and out of St. Margaret’s as well. Several people were using it for a sleep also!

St. Margaret’s is open every day and the signs outside make this very clear as well as giving a good welcome to the visitor. This is a historic church, not least because of it’s links with the Houses of Parliament next door. There is a pew for the Speaker of the House. Some interesting memorials are here, as well as an interesting contemporary art display. I found a guide book but there is no visitors book, the large numbers of people who come through the doors would probably make this impractical anyway. There is a votive stand in the Chapel of Christ, Intercessor which was being well used on my visit. There was a family, plainly upset, who were seeking some quiet after having lit a candle there. The number of people wandering about were making this peace difficult to find. This is the problem with St. Margaret’s. It is a lovely church but is so well visited that this does detract from it’s essential purpose. I rate this church as good.

St. Matthew’s Westminster

This church is advertised as being open every day but wasn’t on the day I called. There was a sign outside on the pavement which said open. Perhaps I need to call in another time. I have not rated this church.

The website is http://www.stmw.org/index.html

St. James’s, Piccadilly

Another church in another bustling part of London. The door was open to welcome inside the many visitors that this church receives. The sign outside gives a very clear welcome from Jermyn Street. There is another entrance on the other side of the building. A small market is held in the churchyard here every day. Inside, I found some welcome leaflets, some in different languages, as well as a guide book. One rather nice idea is some postcards which have been printed up with a painting of the church on one side and an advert for the 11am Eucharist each Sunday. Also there were some of the Diocese of London’s ‘Faith Walks’ leaflets which give short walking tours around some notable churches. There is a votive stand to use here and a Prayer Tree which was very well used on my visit. The visitors book showed at least 150 visitors in the last month but there must be many more than this. Overall I rate St. James’s as good. It would have been good to have seen some suitable material about the Christian faith here, especially given the churches stated aim of ‘to create a space where people of any faith or none can question and discover the sacred life through openness, struggle, laughter and prayer.’ The church website is on http://www.st-james-piccadilly.org/ This has some interesting material on it.

St. Bartholomew the Less, Smithfield

This lovely little church is rather overshadowed by it’s neighbour, St Bartholomew the Great, but is well worth consideration in it’s own right. It is tucked away behind the wall of Barts Hospital and serves as both a parish church and hospital chapel. It is open every day and the signs outside are very good making for a clear welcome for the visitor. Inside, I found a few books for sale, a simple guide and some postcards. One thing that did catch my eye was a series of leaflets of prayers. ‘Prayers for use by a sick person’, contains some prayers for trust in God, pain, sleep and one entitled ‘In the Morning.’ ‘Words of consolation and hope’ has a selection of suitable Bible verses. ‘Prayers for those who are sick’ is designed for visitors who wish to pray for a sick person. These are very good and well thought out. In the church there is also an intercession book in which to write prayers. This is a delightful little church and I rate it as good.

St. Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield

This wonderful church is tucked down an alleyway, which partially serves to hide the wonders that lie inside. There is an entrance charge of £4, plus £1 to take photographs. It is open every day. The signs outside make this all very clear. I really don’t mind paying to enter such a church as this. It really is very special indeed with a real sense of peace, prayerfulness and holiness. It is the sort of church which reduces conversation to a whisper. This atmosphere is aided by the relative gloom of the interior and the way that the flicker of candles is the most intense form of light within. The visitor can select a variety of guides, including one on the history of St. Bartholomew. I was given a short guide which features a plan of the church with the main features annotatted. Prayer cards, cards and varieties of incense are available as well. Also, a book ‘Sixty Five years of Weddings’ which features the stories of some of the many couples who have married here.The Holy Icon Chapel is set aside for quiet prayer and is itself a wonderfully atmospheric space. There is an open Lectionary here, open on the pages for the feast of St. Bartholomew. In the main church there is a prayer board to use as well as two votive stands. In the Lady Chapel a DVD of the life and history of the church is played. This is worth

spending some time over. There is a good modern painting of the Madonna here. In the Cloister a cafe is run and there are some history display boards. I like this church very much, as I know many others do too. I give it a rating of very good from the point of view of this study. Recommended. The website of the church is http://www.greatstbarts.com/

St. Mary Abbots, Kensington

This is a church I have not visited before. It features London’s tallest spire. It is open every day and a large vinyl banner welcomes the visitor in. There are some multi lingual welcome leaflets as well as leaflets about the bells, the interior and one or two others. I picked up an interesting leaflet, ”It is meet and right so to do’ an exploration of The Holy Eucharist’. This gives a good explanation of what happens during this service, from the vestments that the priest wears, through to a commentary on the liturgy itself. A very good teaching aid that deserves to be seen more in churches. There are two votive stands here and a quiet chapel for prayer before the reserved sacrament. 85 visitors in the book in the last month. On the way out there is a good blessing notice. Overall I rate this church as good.

Holy Trinity, Sloane Square

Another magnificent building in a nice part of London. It is a good example of the Arts and Craft Movement of the end of the nineteenth century. The interior is simply fabulous. It is open every day. I didn’t count up the visitors book for some reason but I do not doubt that this church receives many. The signs outside just give details of services and clergy. Inside I found some more of the ‘Faith Walks’ leaflets and there is a good guide book (book rather than booklet) at £5. There are two votive stands to use and some rather nice prayer cards to take away. The website gives more information on http://www.holytrinitysloanesquare.co.uk . One good section on this contains the regular ‘Pause for Thought’ that the Vicar, The Revd Rob Gillion gives on BBC Radio 2.

I rate this church as good from the point of this study.

St. Mary’s, Bourne Street

Yet another church tucked down an alleyway! But what you find at the end is a fine example of an anglo catholic church. The sign outside gives details of services and clergy only. There is an entrance porch with locked glass doors into the church itself. You can easily see in. The interior is open sometimes. The churches website is on http://www.stmarysbournest.com/

It doesn’t tell you when it is open for visitors but does have some useful, and very interesting, resources on it. There was a rack of leaflets and booklets available, including a guide, some gospels and ‘Confessing our Sins’, ‘A Festival of Vestments and Flowers’ , ‘All about Advent’ and one of the gospel imprint publications on ‘Christian Prayer’. This is obviously a church worth getting to know. I rate it as good.

The observant among you might have noticed a certain motorbike appearing in some of the photos. That is deliberate. It is my BMW R100RT which I have been using for the Church Tourism Study. Over 3000 miles have been covered by this in the last few weeks. How has it been?

It has proved to be the complete master of everything. It is as happy on the motorway as it is on a winding country lane. The big fairing provides a lot of wind and weather protection  – too much really in hot weather. It has consistently returned just under 60 miles per gallon in mixed riding. I think that is very good. It is 24 years old and there have only been two minor problems. The first was a leak from the overflow of the left hand carb. Easily sorted by undoing the float bowl and giving it a good clean out. The bike has fuel filters but hadn’t been used for a couple of years before I got it so there must have been some old fuel residue left. My left shoe still smells of petrol! The second was an intermittent fault with the indicators whilst I was in Norfolk. Sometimes they would work fine, and sometimes not at all. I instantly knew what the problem was. Just before the trip I had fitted a new switch as the old one wasn’t reliable. All the turning around in country lanes at full locked had resulted in the connector working loose. So, off with the seat and tank and push the connector home again – problem solved. That is it, no other problems. It has taken me up and down motorways, down rough tracks, and through torrential rain. It has proved to be a great machine which I have loads of respect for. The tyres (Cont Go’s) grip as well in the wet as in the dry. Two large panniers take care of my belongings and my magnetic tank bag holds the church tourism project stuff.

The torquey engine means that I don’t have to change gear very often – just roll it on and off the throttle. It will potter along like a moped or howl along at a goodly speed. I would rate it as excellent!