Churches and other Places of Worship

Churches and other Places of Worship

There are three church buildings within the village of West Bergholt. Only one, however, is still a functioning place of worship today, that being  St Mary the Virgin Church of England Church.  The Methodist community remain active in the village but the church itself is now no longer in use.  The third church building, St Mary’s Old Church, is no longer in regular use for worship (although it remains consecrated), but is active in its own way. You can also view recent Church-related news on this page.

St Mary the Virgin

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This is the Anglican (Church of England) church in the village and is in the Deanery of Colchester, itself being within the Diocese of Chelmsford.  The church maintains a detailed website where you can find out much more about the church, its activities and history.

The Church is a group of people meeting regularly for worship, and to learn more about God and the kind of life he wants us to live.  Members come from many different backgrounds, with different personalities, different circumstances, different approaches, in fact representing lots of different stages in their experience of God in their lives. That means that they offer a real warmth of welcome to anyone who wants to share their journey of discovery about the Christian faith and how to live it out as part of the village community.

St Mary's new Church montage

Services

St Mary’s holds regular services every Sunday according to the  following pattern:

  • 1st Sunday – 9.30 am Holy Communion;
  • 2nd Sunday – 9.30 am Messy Church;
  • 3rd Sunday – 9.30 am Holy Communion;
  • 4th Sunday – 9.30 am Praise on 4 – All Age service;
  • 5th Sunday – joint service with churches from Great Horkesley, Langham & Boxted (time and location vary – see website for details).

Other Events

  • The popular Open House Coffee Morning Thursdays 9 am – 11 am is good for a chat with coffee and cake after the school run (term times only).
  • Every Thursday at 2.30pm there is also 5T’s for tea, cake and a chat in the afternoon (5Ts stands for Together on Thursdays for Tea at Two-Thirty!).
  • St Mary’s also runs Wired, their Christian Youth Club each month, and a Senior Citizens Lunch each term.

The church can be found on the corner of New Church Road and Church Close.  Postcode for SatNav is CO6 3JF.

To find out more about St Mary’s and its many activities follow them on Twitter or Facebook or contact them by email.

If you are not sure where the St Mary’s Church is you can find it using google maps here.

The Methodist Community

The Methodist Church
The Methodist Church

The Methodist Church and Hall have been closed since the beginning of the pandemic lockdown. Furthermore, the site has been up for sale since we ceased to hold services in the Chapel. An offer has been accepted and negotiations are continuing to finalise the sale. After 139 years the congregation was no longer big enough to justify continuing with Sunday morning services and these ceased as preparations were made to sell the church, potential buyers will either need to use the building as-is or rebuild within the current footprint due to the graveyard.

There will no longer be services in the Methodist Chapel in West Bergholt on Sunday mornings. Sunday morning services will take place at “The Well” Methodist Church, Mile End at 10-30am. We hope to be able to offer transport again once regulations allow, leaving the village at 10.00am. If you would like a lift please contact Judith (01206 241969) or Andrew (01206 242511).

Contacts

To find out more about the church and its activities, contact Judith Fletcher by telephone 01206 241969 or e-mail [antibot mailto=”awilks1op@btinternet.com”].

Enquiries about ‘The Link’ or requests for a copy should be directed to 01206 242511 or e-mail [antibot mailto=”awilks1op@btinternet.com”].

St Mary’s Old Church

St Mary's Old Church
The Old Church of St Mary’s

The old St Mary’s Church is no longer a functioning church, having been replaced by the new St Mary’s in 1904.  The old church was eventually declared redundant in 1975 and is now in the care of a national charity, The Churches Conservation Trust.

History

Built over a thousand years ago nearly 40 generations of West Bergholt residents have seen, appreciated and used the earliest part of the church, the north doorway to this venerable building.

The charm of the church is that it escaped wholesale Victorian restoration, so keeps its 18th-century gallery, hat-pegs and plaster ceilings. It has no electricity, and you are advised to visit on a sunny day to best appreciate the wall painting of the Royal Arms of King James.  The Trust is delighted that the church is open most weekdays and that it is still occasionally used for worship.

More History?

To find out more about the church check out the history article about the church and also a particularly stubborn rector on this site or, perhaps, join the Friends of St Mary’s Old Church.

If you are not sure where St Mary’s Old Church is you can find it using google maps here.  The nearest postcode for SatNav is CO6 3DT which will take you to the junction of Hall Road and Old Church Road, check the map link above for the last mile.

Recent Church Notices & News

To read the whole article please click on the heading…

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