BLYTH VALLEY CHURCHES
Two benefices, in a new cluster, 15 very diverse and interesting parishes working together in one of the most beautiful and rural parts of Suffolk. We have 14 beautiful and much-loved churches, all listed buildings, and all, but the Hub Church of St Mary's Halesworth, located in lovely Suffolk villages. Each Church is supported by dedicated and hard-working Churchwardens and Parochial Church Councils of varying sizes.
We have allocated stipendiary staff of a Team Rector (and Priest in Charge), and a Team Vicar, and there are, in addition, six Associate Priests, one Assistant Curate, one Lay Reader and six Lay Elders.
All Saints Church, Blyford
Address: All Saints Church, Southwold Road, Blyford, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8JY
The church of All Saints Blyford was appropriated to Blyford Priory before the year 1200 by Ralph de Criketot. It retains some fine specimens of Norman architecture.
St Andrew's Church, Bramfield
Address: St Andrew's Church, Bramfield, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 9AB
The church has a detached Norman round tower and thatched roof and a beautiful painted and carved wooden screen, c.1500. Along with the later monuments and glass in the chancel. The church itself is in good repair, having had extensive work done to the thatched roof in recent years.
St Mary's Church, Chediston
Address: St Mary's Church, Chediston, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 0AU.
Our village church welcomes all who wish to come and pray, or share in worship, whether as individuals wanting a quiet space, or together at our services.
St Michael and All Angels Church, Cookley
Address: St Michael and All Angels Church, Cookley, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 0LW
The picturesque church is situated in the middle of Cookley – a small rural village four miles south-west of Halesworth. It consists of 49 houses spread over four miles with a population of approximately 100 souls.
The Revd Gini Williams
Email:
rev.giniwilliams@godsearth.co.uk
Phone: 01986 875541
Mobile: 07572 872512
The Vicarage, Beccles Road,
Holton, Halesworth, Suffolk
IP19 8NG
(Off duty Fridays)
The Revd Alison Alder
Email:
revalialder@gmail.com
Phone: 01502 478855
Mobile: 07584 416277
(Off duty Thursdays & Fridays)
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The Revd Linda Berry
Email:
revd.linda@huntingfield.uk
Phone: 01986 798165
(Off duty Mondays & Tuesdays)
The Revd Dominic Doble
Email:
dominic.doble@phonecoop.coop
Phone: 01986 948968
Mobile: 07743 554955
The Rectory,
Highfield Road,
Halesworth, Suffolk
IP19 8SJ
(Off duty Mondays)
St Mary's Church, Halesworth
Address: St Mary's Church, Steeple End, Halesworth, Suffol IP19 8LL
We have a warm and inviting church that has served the community for centuries. It is steeped in history and sits at the heart of the Blyth Valley Team Ministry.
St Margaret's Church, Heveningham with Ubbeston
Address: St Margaret's Church Heveningham with Ubbeston, Church Road, Heveningham, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 0EP
St Margaret’s Church stands on a mound above the roadside and village street of Heveningham. Since the closure of St Peter’s Church Ubbeston, St Margaret’s serves both parishes.
St Peter's Church, Holton
Address: St Peter's Church, Beccles Road, Holton, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8NG
The Grade II listed church lies between the old village and the 1970's development. It is a lovey round-towered church with Victorian additions and subtractions.
Pastoral Offices
Baptism, Marriage and the Funeral Office are collectively known as the “Pastoral Offices”.
In the Blyth Valley, we operate an ‘Open Door’ policy. All who have a kernel of faith, however small or tentative they feel it is, are invited to avail themselves of the ministry of the Church. In an ideal world, we would hope that those who come for Baptism and Marriage would have an awareness of the Church’s teaching and go through a period of preparation. However, we do not live in an ideal world: neither did Jesus. He accepted all who came to him and invited them to journey towards God’s kingdom. We seek to meet people where they are, because we believe that in the Pastoral Offices God’s grace is at work. In God’s time, not ours, we believe that his radical acceptance of each human being, which is focused in the Pastoral Offices, will draw those who participate into a close and living relationship with him and with his Church.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Huntingfield
Address: St Mary the Virgin Church, The Street, Huntingfield, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 0PR
The Church is an 11th century grade 1 listed building, largely due to its amazing Victorian painted ceiling - the ceiling was painted by Mildred Holland, the wife of the Rector, who was resident for 44 years from 1848. The church is old, with some fragments of carved stones a Saxon stone coffin and standing cross of the 10th century set into the wall of the tower.
St Margaret of Antioch's Church, Linstead
Address: St Margaret of Antioch's Church, Linstead, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 0AD
St Margaret of Antioch, Linstead Parva is at the extreme eastern end of the village. It was mostly built at the beginning of the 13th century and was constructed as a chapel-of-ease, marking the end of the lands of the Cluniac Priory at Mendham.
St Peter's Church, Spexhall
Address: St Peter's Church, Church Road, Spexhall, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 0RQ
A pretty Grade II listed parish church whose basic structure dates from around 1150. The north doorway is thought to be 12th century, whilst there is a small 14th century doorway on the south wall. The south porch was probably built in the 15th century and was restored in 1733. The original round tower fell down in 1725 and was subsequently rebuilt.
St Peter's Church, Thorington
Address: St Peter's Church, Thorington Roadm Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 9JG
The pretty Norman church of St Peter dates to the 11th century, with a striking round tower of flint, and an aisle-less nave and chancel. The church is an important Grade 1 listed building, that is now in reasonably good condition.
St Mary's Church, Walpole
Address: St Mary's Church, Halesworth Road, Walpole, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 9AZ
Walpole derives its name from a combination of the Anglo Saxon pol-a-pool and weala-a-foreigner-a Britain, and in the Domesday Book is spelt Walepola. The church occupies a very early site though the earliest work to be seen today is Saxon.
St Peter's Church, Wenhaston
Address: St Peter's Church, Church Lane, Wenhaston IP19 9BJ
The church is open daily, please check with the churchwarden for opening hours (01502 478855). Visitors are most welcome.
Photo courtesy NS Restorations
St Andrew's Church, Wissett
Address: St Andrew's Church, Lodge Lane, Wissett, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 0JQ
The church, with its 12th century round tower and Romanesque doorways, is in an attractive churchyard by the village street, convenient for the Village Hall. It is high and light, clear from west to east, with traditional furniture, oak pews for about 100, and a good small pipe organ. Through past care it has come down in good structural condition.