At the heart
of worship…
at the heart of the community

Welcome to
St Peter's Stanton Lacy

The Saxon Church of St Peter has been serving the parish of Stanton Lacy since the early 11th century, and there was probably a church on this site for 300 years before that. It is one of the few churches mentioned in the Domesday Book.

St Peter’s is one of 6 parishes with 8 churches that form the Bromfield Benefice within the Ludlow Deanery, itself within the diocese of Hereford. The church has an active congregation and calendar, and further information is available on the Worship and Events pages of this website.

We have launched an important refurbishment project for St Peter’s; you can find out more about the work and how you can help here.

We look forward to welcoming you.

A message from Rector Justin Parker

NEWS ....

Refurbishment Project - October 2024

Phase 1 now fully funded. 

We are delighted to announce that with the pledge of £5,500 from the Rowlands Trust we have now raised sufficient funds to complete Phase 1 of our Refurbishment Project. We are hugely gratfeful to the Trust and indeed all of the people and organisations that have made this possible.

This Phase of the work is about providing the church, for the first time in its 1,000 year history, with kitchen and toilet facilities.  As we have to undertake a number of other related areas of work it is a large project and is costing around £90,000 overall. The work will be complete in early 2025.

We will then start fundraising for Phase 2 of the work - which is about undertaking the backlog of repairs and maintenance work needed in the church.

Your help in supporting our work will make a real difference and ensure that St Peter’s church remains a vital part of the local community for the next millennium. If you would like to make a donation, click on the DONATE button at the top of the page.

With thanks in anticipation.

NEWS ....

Refurbishment project gets the go-ahead

We have now had the final approval we need to install kitchen and toilet facilities at St Peter’s. The Faculty was granted by the Herford Diocesan Chancellor on 8th July 2024.

It’s great news and will be the realisation of an idea first suggested over 20 years ago.

Elsewhere on this website we cover the background to the need for such facilities, both as part of supporting the congregation and as part of a longer term plan to open up the church to wider use. In this way, we are aiming to secure the future of St Peter’s.

We will have to restrict access to the Church during the building work and the notice opposite has the details.

We look forward to welcoming you to the church complete with its new facilities in the very near future!

NEWS ....

 

'Snowdrop Weekend' raises over £1,300 for St Peter's

Our annual 'Snowdrop' event was held this year over the weekend of 10th and 11th February. 

It was the best ever. We welcomed hundreds of visitors and raised £1,350, which will go towards the vital refurbishment work we are planning at the church.

In early spring, the churchyard is carpeted with Snowdrops. Originally planted over 150 years ago, the Snowdrops have become "one of the springtime glories of South Shropshire". People travel widely to see them and and we raise money through the sale of tea, cakes and preserves.

The event is run by Sue Parker. Fifteen years ago Sue noticed just how many people were attracted to the churchyard by the arrival of the snowdrops. Together with her mother, Gillain Parker, they set up the first of the Snowsdrop Teas,. They ran the event themselves in the early years; but now, a wide range of volunteers help - making cakes and preserves, handling refreshments and meeting and greeting the visitors.

Since starting, the Snowdrop Weekends have raised over £10,000 for the church - an absoluetly remarkable achievement. 

We look forward to seeing everyone again in 2025! 

You can find out more about the history of the Snowdrops, the churchyard and the church itself by going to the history page on our website

NEWS ....

 

The Stanton Lacy Book of Remembrance Project

Natasha Leigh-Willets picturted at St Peter's War Memeorial with her Book of Remembrance

Each year, we hold a memorial service at St Peter’s Church to honour the service and sacrifice of those who fought in the line of duty.

This year will be a very special occasion. A Shropshire based photographer, Natasha Leigh-Willetts, offered to compile a special Book of Remembrance that commemorates the men born in Stanton Lacy who gave their lives in World War 1. We were pleased to support the initiative and are delighted with the results.

Of the 23 men who died, three are buried in the churchyard at St Peter’s, one is buried at St Mary’s, Bromfield. One other, Able Seaman William Charles Williams, awarded the Victoria Cross, has a memorial plaque at St Peter’s and at the Naval Memorial in Portsmouth. The others are buried or memorialised in countries across Europe – Belgium, France, Germany, Greece and Turkey. All of the men are listed on the War Memorial in St Peter’s Churchyard.

Natasha’s work, done on a voluntary basis, assembles extensive information on these men, their service, their families and their untimely deaths. Typical is the story of Donald Edward Easthope. A blacksmith by trade he was part of the 1st Battalion Herefordshire Regiment who fought at Gallipoli. He landed on 9th August 1915. He died of his wounds less than two weeks later. A letter from Captain E P Rogers to the parents of Private Eastope says;

“We were under fire from hidden snipers. It was the worst place …  Your boy fell while he was on duty ... (he)was one of my best men and always trustworthy and reliable”

Natasha used a wide variety of sources of information, from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to press articles and military records. She has added a range of photographs, some taken by Natasha herself.

The Book of Remembrance is now on display in St Peter’s. We urge you to visit and have a look at this remarkable piece of work. We remain hugely grateful to Natasha. Her work provides a poignant record of the people behind the names we know and the sacrifices they made.

Details of this year’s service are on the Events page of this website here.

SERVICES

St Peter’s has 4 sung services each month, as follows;

Ist Sunday of the Month

 

9.15 am
Holy Communion

2nd Sunday of the Month

 

6.30pm
Evensong

3rd Sunday of the Month

 

9.15 am
Family Communion

4th Sunday of the Month

 

9.15 am
Holy Communion

History

A beautifully proportioned cruciform church, St Peter’s was largely built during the Norman period (1066-1154), but parts of the nave and north transepts are Saxon (A.D. 597-1066) in origin. The churchyard is probably older than the church itself and its semi-circular shape suggests it was once round and contained a Celtic church.

READ MORE

COMMUNITY

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) has been keen to encourage the use of the church for wider community events. The church hosts a few concerts a year and an annual Snowdrop Weekend to showcase the churchyard, which draws large numbers of visitors from across the area. Other events have included Strawberry Teas and various photographic and art exhibitions.

READ MORE

EVENTS

In addition to our active programme of Worship, we hold a number of events throughout the year, on site and in conjunction with our colleagues at the Stanton Lacy Village Hall.

 

Click on the link below for more details

READ MORE

Refurbishment Project

Churches nationally are facing real threats to their long-term futures. Reductions in congregation size and shortages of funding for repair work, especially for historic churches such as St Peter’s, are increasingly challenging the sustainability of the buildings.

FIND OUT MORE


Special Message concerning Covid-19

 

The Church of England continues to update its guidance on Covid in the light of changing government requirements. The latest version is available here.

 In summary, the C of E says;

 “The situation across England is that while coronavirus is present in most communities we have a population where previous infections and the national vaccination programme means the majority of people have some immunity. Levels of immunity do vary individually and for some people they will continue to be significantly vulnerable to the virus and its potential long-term effects. The removal of the remaining restrictions holds out the hopeful prospect of the end of the pandemic but will nonetheless raise concerns for some. While we are in the phase of moving from a pandemic to an endemic situation places of worship may decide to continue some precautions based on their own circumstances to protect others and themselves”.

 

In terms of what this means for us at St Peter’s, Rector Justin Parker makes the following recommendations;

 

  • Sanitising/washing of hands remains strongly encouraged; it works, is simple to do and an excellent protective measure
  • Face coverings are no longer mandatory in any setting but are recommended in enclosed or crowded places, particularly where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet
  • Congregational singing remains permissible and is a joy!
  • I recommend that hymn books are placed in the churches in the pews, with an order of service or prayer book if possible, so that people may speedily and safely take their place in church without causing unnecessary bottlenecks at the door
  • I will continue to wear a face mask for the administration of the Blessed Sacrament because I will be in close proximity to communicants. I encourage other clergy so to do. We have started to administer the Blessed Sacrament in both kinds, under the species of bread but intincted by the Priest.
  • None of you should feel in any way pressured to change your own personal practices beyond that which makes you feel safe and secure in Church.
  • I invite each church to place the/a collection plate at the entrance to the church before the beginning of the service so that the alms and offerings of the people may be made before the service and brought up and offered at the altar during the service although I recommend that the plate is not passed around for obvious reasons
  • Bellringing, in full, has recommenced, and I continue to recommend that as far as reasonably possible hands are sanitised, sensible distancing is maintained, and if in very close proximity the wearing of masks is considered and ventilation be increased by the opening of doors and/or windows

Please continue to keep in your prayers all those in our health and care professions who minister to the sick and the suffering, those who are sick with COVID or long COVID and those who are fearful, and give hearty thanks to God for the scientists and vaccinators who have helped to bring us to this point so speedily

Kind regards and every blessing

Justin

 

If you have any queries or concerns about attending St Peter’s do not hesitate to contact the Rector who will do his best to assist.