Avon River Team Churches Guide

Thank you for thinking of holding your special day in one of our lovely churches.

You can find out more about each church in this booklet; or why not join us at one of our Sunday services and experience the church for yourself.

Contact details: Rev P Bromiley ~ philip@avonriverteam.org.uk Tel 01980 258549 Team Office ~ avonriverteam@hotmail.com Tel 01980 655457 (open Tuesdays and Thursdays in term time) https://www.avonriverteam.org.uk/welcome.htm

Avon River Team

ST LEONARD’S BULFORD Location: St Leonard’s Church High St Bulford Wiltshire SP4 9DD Contact: Avon River Team The Old School Hall College Road Durrington SP4 8HP 01980 655 457 Information  Can seat 80 –150  No church car park  No bells  Organ  Toilets incl.

Accessible Toilet  Baby changing facilities

The Parish Church of St Leonard’s is a 12th century building in the centre of the old village.

Holy Communion services are held on Wednesday mornings.

These are followed by Nifty Knitters (2nd Wednesday) and Church Café (4th Wednesday).

Sunday services are held on the 1st, 3rd, 4th (and 5th) Sundays of the month, with the 3rd Sunday being a Family Service. The 2nd Sunday is our Team Service, which rotates through all ART Churches. We welcome everyone to attend all of our services.

You will receive a warm reception from our friendly team of LPAs and PCC members.

The Church is well maintained and in good order, run by a committed PCC. The churchyard has been closed since 1890; the nearby cemetery is managed by the Church on behalf of the parish The building includes council.

Camilla Hall, a modern facility which provides a Saint Leonard’s is lucky comfortable setting for to have its own affiliated meetings and social Scout Troop who parade with events. When opened St Leonard’s can seat 80 comfortably (with 4 people per pew) in the main body of the church.

This can increase to 100 with 5 people per pew.

50 chairs can be used in the attached church hall to the left of the nave.

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it allows overflow for larger services and events. This increases the Church maximum capacity to 150.

colours for church on various Sundays in the year.

Activities run throughout

the year at the Church and include evening activities in the cleared nave, Summer Fêtes, and Christmas Bazaars.

Advance notice of events will appear on the 'Bulford Notices' page, on the 'A Church Near You' page, and on the Avon River Team Facebook Group.

There is NO church car park. High Street is a busy main road where on road parking is not advisable. Parties may be able to arrange parking at the working men’s club in the village by contacting them directly.

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Avon River Team

ALL SAINTS’ DURRINGTON Location: All Saints’ Church 4 Church St Durrington Wiltshire SP4 8AL Contact: Avon River Team The Old School Hall College Road Durrington SP4 8HP 01980 655 457 Information  Can seat 150  No church car park  Bells  Organ  Toilet  Ramped entrance  Hearing (Induction) Loop

The village of Durrington is situated to the east of Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire with the church building located at the lower end of the village overlooking the water meadows and the River Avon.

home). Please contact the Rector for more details.

We are a friendly worshipping community offering support and serving the needs of the Durrington residents.

Refreshments are served in the social area at the back of the church after the main Sunday service. Please do join us.

If you’re new to the area, or thinking about coming to All Saints for the first time, you will be given a warm welcome.

Children are most welcome at any of our services and we do understand that they will sometimes make a noise!

There is an area at the side of the Church which has a table and chairs for children; colouring pencils, books and some toys are located there.

Please feel free to use the children’s area. We hold a family friendly Fun Church on the 1st Sunday of every month where children (and adults) are encouraged to join in with activities and dramatisations.

If you use a hearing aid, then we have an induction loop to help you hear the service properly. Simply switch your hearing aid to the T position.

A toilet is located at the side of the Church, accessible from the door which runs along the side path.

We do not have a designated car park for the church and only have limited on-road parking. The church is on a main bus route and we ask for your understanding and consideration when parking, to ensure that double decker buses and emergency vehicles can still pass. If you need help in getting to church, please let us know.

If you cannot attend church either temporarily or on a long term basis then we offer Home Communion (a simple communion service in your

Maximum capacity 150 There is NO church car seated. park. Church Street and High Street require clear access due to regular bus services, therefore the roads outside the church are coned off to ensure traffic can pass safely. There is some on road parking in the village, a short walk from the Church but it is ART Churches Guide 2025 Version

We look forward to seeing you at one of our services.

Please introduce yourself to the Rector or to one of the sidespeople before the service, or to any member of the congregation during refreshments after the service.

Regular services: Holy Communion on Thursday mornings; Sunday services on the 1st, 3rd, 4th (and 5th) Sundays, including Fun Church on the 1st Sunday; 2nd Sunday Team Service (rotates through all ART churches).

a residential area. If parking in the village please consider local residents and access.

Larger parties may wish to organise coaches to bring guests to the service.

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Avon River Team

ALL SAINTS’ ENFORD Location: All Saints’ Church Enford Hill Pewsey Wiltshire SN9 6DJ Contact: Avon River Team The Old School Hall College Road Durrington SP4 8HP 01980 655 457 Information  Can seat 200  Church car park limited to about 20 cars*  Bells  Organ**  Accessible toilet  Ramped entrance

At Enford ,All Saints Church we welcome everyone of all ages to share in the variety of services we offer each month: Evensong, Holy Communion, Breakfast Church and of course seasonal Harvest and Christmas services too.

The Church is spacious and can seat up to 200 people using extra chairs to accommodate weddings and many other events. We have a toilet and basic kitchen area and provide tasty refreshments after our morning services. The sound system is excellent and the acoustics are superb for concerts and musical events.

Enford Church is a very popular choice for weddings and our team of talented flower arrangers decorate the Church and the Lychgate magnificently. The Lychgate also serves as our village war memorial.

We keep our Church open daily for personal worship and prayer - information about its fascinating history and take-away cards Maximum seated.

capacity

200

*Parking is limited to about 20 cars (we avoid parking along the road for safety and courtesy reasons) but for larger events like weddings the local farmer’s permission can be sought (in advance) to allow extra parking in the field adjacent to the Church.

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offering spiritual support are freely available.

Do come and join us for any of our services - we warmly welcome you and seek to support all who are in need and wish to worship with us.

HISTORY: Enford Church is recorded in the Domesday Book as one of only five Churches in the whole of Wiltshire to have a priest! The building dates back to the Norman period. In the 1500s the Church housed the village school. The first clock dates back to 1728; when the Church spire fell down in 1817 and was rebuilt 20 years later, the present clock face was not added to the tower until another 20 years after that! **Enford’s organ has limitations to its playing ability therefore not all organ music can be played. Please speak to the organist if you have specific music in mind.

The organ was built in 1859, originally above the West door. The full history of the Church can be found inside the building for all to read or purchase.

BREAKFAST CHURCH: This thriving service is for all ages on the 3rd Sunday of the month at 9:30am. We sing both traditional and modern songs accompanied by the guitar; youngsters who come with their parents enjoy a theme-linked craft activity; we serve a delicious hot breakfast of either bacon rolls or sausage baps with croissants and tea/coffee/ juice. A very popular service!

SERVICES: 1st Sunday Holy Communion @ 9:30am 2nd Sunday Team Service (rotates through all ART churches, check notice board for location) 3rd Sunday Breakfast Church @ 9:30am 4th Sunday Evensong @ 6:00pm

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Avon River Team

ST MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS’ FIGHELDEAN Location: St Michael and All Angels’ Church, Church Lane Figheldean Wiltshire SP4 8JL Contact: Avon River Team The Old School Hall College Road Durrington SP4 8HP 01980 655 457 Information  Can seat 130  Limited disabled parking only at church  Organ  Toilet  Ramped entrance  No bells

Figheldean Church was mentioned in a Charter of Henry I (11001135AD). St. Edmund was invoked in a chapel in the church c.1251; the church itself was named in 1763.

The church has a chancel, aisled and clerestoried nave, with a south porch, west tower and north vestry. The west tower was built in the 13th century; the nave is also of this date.

The c.1860 restorations included the roofs of the tower and south aisle being heightened, both aisles refenestrated, the west gallery removed and a new gallery formed.

During World War 1, Anzac and Canadian troops were based on Salisbury Plain and hundreds (maybe thousands) visited the site of the village blacksmith and the old

chestnut tree opposite the church, believing this was the setting of Longfellow’s poem The Village Blacksmith.

Evidence of 377 signatures (Graffiti) has been found in the church and much more in various places around the village.

alive and relevant to all ages.

The church has a regular Sunday service schedule including Holy Communion, Evening Worship, Morning Worship and an extremely popular Breakfast Church on the 4th Sunday of each month.

2nd Sunday Team Service (rotates through all ART churches).

There is a wide range of church activity both within the church building and in the village. The church is well maintained and has The Church can seat 130 a friendly and active comfortably.

PCC. All are committed to learning more of the way of Christ, expressed through worship that is

Maximum capacity 130 Parking is limited. There is The Millennium Village some on street parking Hall is approximately 3/4 seated. plus 2 disabled bays. minutes’ walk to the Arrangements can be church and caters for discussed with the local wakes, wedding village hall to use their receptions and village parking facilities when large events are planned events. e.g. Weddings, funerals, baptisms etc.

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Avon River Team

ALL SAINTS’ FITTLETON CUM HAXTON Location: All Saints’ Church Fittleton Wiltshire SP4 9QA Contact: Avon River Team The Old School Hall College Road Durrington SP4 8HP 01980 655 457 Information  Can seat approx.

150  No church car park  Bells  Organ  No toilet

The village is mentioned in the Doomsday book as "Viteltone". As time passed the spelling of the name varied constantly, for example Vitleton and Fyttelton.

Evidence of the gradual growth of the community after Saxon times can be found in the dignified simplicity of the Church, dedicated, like many of the Churches in this part of Wiltshire, to All Saints.

The chancel arch is of the late Norman period, as is the font bowl and most of the carved stone heads. The lower part of the tower may have been the oldest part of the building. The chancel and the two arcades of the nave were added in 13th Century. The tower has a short spire and an unusual outside addi on

of an octagonal stair turret.

Numerous tablets on the interior walls tell something about the benefactors and notabilities of the Parish. More can be learnt from the old church registers and other documents dating back to 1582, all of which are at the Wiltshire County archives in Chippenham.

Six bells are set in the tower and at present are rung by a team from the United Benefice who also ring at Enford and

Netheravon.

All Saints, Fittleton shares some of its services with neighbouring, All Saints’ Church Netheravon.

Fittleton holds an Evensong service every 3rd Sunday of the month. The joint Holy Communion service is at Netheravon on the 1st Sunday of the month.

2nd Sunday Team Service (rotates through all ART churches).

Fittleton hosts annual Harvest, Remembrance and Carol services.

Maximum capacity No church car park. The church DOES NOT approximately 150 Parking for approximately have a toilet.

10 cars near the church. seated.

There is some on road parking in the village, a short walk from the Church but it is a residential area.

If parking in the village please consider local residents and access.

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Avon River Team

ST MARY’S MILSTON WITH BRIGMERSTON Location: St Mary ‘s Church Church Road Milston Wiltshire SP4 8HT Contact: Avon River Team The Old School Hall College Road Durrington SP4 8HP 01980 655 457

The hamlets of Milston and Brigmerston comprise about 50 dwellings; there are no schools but an active Parish Council and a small village hall.

The churchyard is closed but there is a churchyard extension some 150 yards up the road.

Comfortable seating for 60. This can increase to about 80 with some standing and some seated on folding chairs.

Parking in the lane and on the verges for approximately 30 cars.

Please consider local residents and access requirements when parking in the village and by the church. The local farmer’s field can sometimes be used for additional parking, by prior arrangement.

Information  Can seat 60  No church car park  Organ  No Toilet  Ramped entrance St Mary’s is a charming little  Church aisle is church with a quite narrow maximum capacity of about 80.

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ART churches). We do try very hard to make everyone welcome and encourage our parishioners to bring Book of Common their friends to our Prayer: Holy small, friendly Communion, church. services take place twice a month and sung Matins once a month. 2nd Sunday Team Service (rotates through all

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Avon River Team

ALL SAINTS’ NETHERAVON Location: All Saints’ Church High St Netheravon Wiltshire SP4 9RT

All Saints' Church Netheravon has Saxon origins and was sympathetically restored in 1889. It is now part of the Avon River Team of Churches.

Contact: Avon River Team The Old School Hall College Road Durrington SP4 8HP 01980 655 457

In Netheravon we meet for worship on the 1st and 4th Sundays of the month with a Team Service at one of the Churches in the Team on the 2nd Sunday. We also worship at our neighbouring Church, All Saints’ Fittleton on the 3rd Sunday. When there is a 5th Sunday in the month we meet for a Songs of Praise service at 5.00 pm.

Information  Can seat maximum 190  Church Car Park  Bells  Organ  Accessible toilet

themselves with activities, books, toys etc. if they wish to.

Fund raising events are held during the year including the Annual Village Fete - this helps to keep the Church running as well as maintaining and improving the building for future generations.

We serve refreshments after each Morning 1st~11am, Holy Service. This provides an Communion excellent opportunity 2nd~10.30am, Team for welcoming visitors as Service at alternating well as time for chatting At present we are a venues throughout the and reflecting with small but faithful Team friends. congregation who try to 3rd~6pm Evensong at share our faith and the Fittleton Children are welcome in love of Jesus with our 4th~11am, Morning all Services and there is a friends and community.

Worship comfy area to one side 5th~11am, Morning Worship where they can occupy Maximum 150 seated in nave and side pews, plus additional 40 chairs available for use at the back of the church.

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Our Church bells are rung on a rota system by a team of ringers who ring for three of the churches in the Team - a joyful call to worship ringing out over the villages.

Parking for approximately 30 cars at the church. Overflow parking, by prior arrangement, at the village school/hall for another 40 cars (4 minutes walk).

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