
News
Please see articles below about what's happening in and around our churches
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The photo to the left was taken at St Michael and All Angels Church, Harnhill (see item below!)
News from the Parishes
Major Re-roofing Project - St Michael and All Angels Church, Harnhill
Plans being put together to save the Medieval Church for future generations
The PCC of Harnhill and Driffield have made an application for a 'Faculty' - ecclesiastical planning permission - to undertake a major conservation repair project at Harnhill Church. Proposals include replacing a decaying structural beam in the tower (which is now un-sound); conservation repairs to the medieval bell frame and bells, so they can be chimed once again; re-roofing of the Tower, Porch, Nave and Chancel.
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Plans, specifications, a Statement of Significance and Needs and other information is readily available from the Rector. We have mountains of information!
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We hope that works might be undertaken in 2025 - but before that we need to raise about £200,000 to cover the costs. Our first step is to secure the permission to do the works, so we can show funders that we have all our ducks lined up!
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This wonderful little gem of a church holds weekly services on a Sunday at 10am and on a Wednesday evening at 8.30pm - for a quiet service of Compline or Taize.
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News at Ampney Crucis Church
Take a Pew!
We now have permission to make permanent the arrangements at the back of Ampney Crucis Church - where we have removed six bench pews so we can have a more flexible space in which to have Baptisms with the congregation around the Font; are able to serve refreshments and have circulation space. We can now sell the six bench pews, which have been in storage for the last five years. Two are already sold. If you are interested in buying a pine bench pew, do let the Rector know.
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Preaching Cross and Ancient Tombs - Repairs
The ancient tombs and preaching cross in the churchyard are now in need of conservation works. We have a Conservation Report on these monuments and are seeking grant funding for the works. We have obtained Scheduled Monument Consent from Heritage England for works to the ancient Preaching Cross; and are now seeking a Faculty from the Diocese of Gloucester. We have received a Faculty (permission to do the works) and we hope this will take place in spring 2024. A copy of the Conservation Report can be found (click on red 'here') here:
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News at St Mary's Church, Driffield
Window repairs
Two stained-glass windows on the south side of the nave are buckling and need to be repaired. One window - 'The Good Samaritan' - has been removed and taken to the Hereford Workshop of Jim Budd, a professional stained-glass craftsman. We are very grateful to The Glaziers Trust and The Sabrina Sutherland Trust for grant funding towards this project.
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New Curtains
Many thanks for those involved in providing two new purple curtains for the tower area at the east end of the church - they look wonderful and enhance the beauty of the building. They have arrived in good time for our first wedding in over 12 years in May! Thank you.
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