The United Benefice of Publow with Pensford, Compton Dando & Chelwood BENEFICE PROFILE

Transcription

1 The United Benefice of Publow with Pensford, Compton Dando & Chelwood BENEFICE PROFILE February 2016

2 Contents Page Location of the Benefice Map 3 Our Community 3 Looking to the future 4 The Benefice Our Parishes 5 The Rectory 8 Organisation and Finance 8 Worship and Music 10 Community Ministry & Other Engagement 12 Other Sources of Local Information 15 Our future priest 16 Summary 16 Role Purpose 16 Person Specification 16 Further Information 17 Appendix: The Church Buildings All Saints, Publow with Pensford 18 St Mary s, Compton Dando 19 St Leonard s, Chelwood 20 2

3 Location of the Benefice Maps St Mary s Church All Saints Church Rectory St Leonard s Church Our Community Our rural benefice, officially known as the Benefice of Chew Valley East, comprises three village parishes All Saints, Publow with Pensford; St Mary s, Compton Dando; and St Leonard s, Chelwood. It is set in green belt approximately 8 miles from both Bristol and Bath, and 14 miles from Wells and forms part of the Chew Magna Deanery. It is also part of a Local Ministry Group linked with the Keynsham group of parishes. The Rectory is sited in Pensford. People in our communities look mainly towards Chew Magna (to the west) and to Keynsham (to the north) for local resources such as schools, GP and dental surgeries, banks and shopping. There is a regular bus service between Wells and Bristol along the A37 via Pensford, but the smaller villages have little or no public transport and the use of a car is essential to work across the Benefice. The nearest train station is Keynsham, on the main line between Bristol to Bath. Bristol airport is situated a few miles to the west and although close to the flight path, aircraft noise is not a significant concern for most of those living in the Benefice. 3

4 Looking to the Future We are looking for a new House for Duty priest (local practice is to call our priest The Rector ) to lead us in our calling to serve God in our community and to support us as we adjust to the challenges we face in our own parishes and those affecting the Church and its rural ministry in general. We are conscious that a responsibility for our much loved and ancient church buildings, with the respect this invokes for the traditions of the past, does not always sit easily with modern life. We want to find ways to reach our communities in a more contemporary and relevant way. Our new priest can expect support from an able and committed group of lay people who are willing to learn and to commit to new ways of doing things in the future. We are grateful that recent negotiations within the Deanery have resulted in an agreement to supplement this appointment with an additional 0.2 wte stipend. We see this as an enhanced opportunity for us to come together under the leadership of a new Rector to strengthen the future of our ministry across the Benefice. We wish to consolidate and further develop our Benefice in the following ways: Our profile in the community we want our churches to be a living Christian presence within all the communities in our Benefice. We want to offer worship and prayer with, and on behalf of, our neighbours and the wider world; to contribute to social action; and to offer warmth and welcome to all those who wish join our activities. Ministry we will work with the Rector to support and encourage individual spiritual growth and to develop a greater lay involvement in worship and other aspects of ministry in all our churches. We would like to maintain a pattern of services which supports current worshippers but are also open to the exploration of forms of worship more suitable for those new to church. We need to discover how we can extend our activities outside the church buildings to better reach others in our community. We are interested in exploring the resources for lay leadership available through the Diocesan School of Formation. Younger people and their families we want to implement realistic strategies to help younger people feel welcomed by the Church. We have experience of successful special events for children in Advent, at Christmas, at Easter and in the summer holidays, and we have a presence at Pensford primary school, but we know these events need new leadership and more support and that we could do more. Older people we want to ensure that older people in our communities feel supported by the church even when they may no longer be able to participate fully in our worship and other activities. 4

5 Music has an important place in our worship and we think this could be developed as a means of reaching out into the wider community. Leadership for the future we recognise that, like many other church communities in rural settings, we are supported mainly by those in middle and older years. We want to help younger people (re)turn to the church, to support their faith and spiritual searching, and to offer them the opportunity to become part of our lay resource for the future. Finance - we understand that a secure financial base must underpin all our activities. We want to use our existing assets wisely and to grow them further in order to benefit our longer term goals. Buildings - we want to maximise the use of our wonderful buildings, to keep them relevant to as wide a cross section of our communities as possible, and to meet our responsibility to ensure that our churches remain in good condition for those who come after us. The Benefice Our Parishes All Saints, Publow with Pensford This is the largest parish in the Benefice with a population of about It lies along the A37, south of Bristol, as it crosses the River Chew. All Saints church is located in Publow, about half a mile further east along the river from the centre of Pensford. All Saints from across the fields An ex-mining village, Pensford has a wide social mix. There is some social housing as well as a mix of small mining and estate cottages and a number of larger and more affluent houses. Socioeconomically the population is similarly variable and the demographic varies from young families to the elderly. The village post office and shop, open every day, is a focal point for the village whilst the Pensford Memorial Hall provides a centre for village social activities. There is a small Parish Room in the centre of Pensford which is used by the PCC and the Mothers 5

6 Union and is also available for other meetings. The village has three pubs, a coffee shop, barber, tennis club, football club and playing fields. There is a Gospel Hall but no other church presence. Church Street, Pensford (Parish Room on the left) The primary school, although not a church school, maintains links with the parish and the Rector visits for assemblies. The school carol service is held annually in the church and this year, for the first time, there will be a school service for Easter. There is another church (St Thomas Becket) in Pensford but this is no longer in active use. It was damaged in the great flood of 1968; the main portion of the building has been developed for residential use and the Tower is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. There is an active friends group and occasional acts of worship are arranged in the Tower each year. The churchyard has recently been handed to the care of the local authority. St Thomas Becket Church & the Pensford viaduct St Mary s, Compton Dando Compton Dando, with some 400 people in the parish, also lies at a crossing of the River Chew and boasts a fine medieval bridge. Its Old Mill is mentioned in the Doomsday Book. Compton Dando from the hill The Bridge The Compton Inn Today it is predominantly a dormitory village for Bath and Bristol and has a well-balanced mixture of trades and professions in its community. Housing ranges from social housing to the substantial and expensive. 6

7 The village has a popular pub but no shop. There is a well-appointed parish hall and a thriving Community Association in which church members are active. St Leonard s, Chelwood St. Leonard s is a small rural parish, with about 48 houses and a population of approximately 115, centred on the village of Chelwood. It lies along a short section of the A368, the road from Bath to Weston-super-Mare. Aerial view of Chelwood The village was once based largely on dairy farming but, over the years, it has also become more of a commuter village for those working in Bristol and Bath. More homes are now rented to families, many of which move on fairly quickly once they find permanent housing in the area. This has had an impact on the core population who support the church. Cottages in Church Lane, Chelwood Chelwood is a Thankful Village meaning that no lives were lost amongst those who enlisted to fight in the first world war. There is a village hall but no shop or pub. Village social events are all held in the village hall where the Chelwood flower show is now in its 44 th year. A management group runs the hall under a lease from an ecclesiastical educational trust. 7

8 The Rectory The Rectory is a modern chalet-bungalow building in Pensford, purchased by the Diocese in It has five bedrooms, three downstairs, one of which is currently used as a study, and two upstairs, and a conservatory. The kitchen and bathrooms were upgraded in late There is a medium sized garden with views across open fields and a garage. A quinquennial inspection took place recently. No major concerns were identified. Essential repairs, redecoration and garden maintenance will be addressed during the current vacancy. Organisation and Finance Deanery and Local Ministry Group The Benefice is a member of the Chew Magna Deanery (Rural Dean, the Revd. Jane Chamberlain. Tel: , revjanechamberlain@gmail.com ) and forms part of a local ministry group with the Keynsham group of churches: this consists of the parishes of St John and St Francis in Keynsham, and three small village churches in Burnett, Chewton Keynsham and Queen Charlton which lie between Keynsham and our Benefice. Local Ministry Groups and Teams (LMGs and LMTs) were set up in the diocese to resource local ministry. They are clusters of parishes and benefices, working mutually and sharing resources. These clusters are intended to encourage leaders, both ordained and lay, to work together to ensure no-one alone. The ministerial links with Keynsham have been relatively informal and the Rector has periodically participated in worship in Keynsham whilst priests from the Keynsham group have visited our Benefice. Closer integration has been achieved in the discussions held to agree the resources for this post and staff from the Keynsham ministerial team (Priests and Lay Readers) have been offering considerable support for services during our vacancy. Other members of the ministerial team By individual arrangement, retired priests resident within the Benefice, the Deanery and further afield, support worship in the absence of the Rector. The only Lay Reader in the Benefice retired in 2015 as Reader Emeritus. 8

9 Parochial Church Councils There are two PCCs: one for Publow (All Saints ) and a combined PCC for Chelwood (St Leonard s) and Compton Dando (St Mary s). In the past the Rector has been the chairman of both PCCs, supported by an elected lay vice chair at All Saints. A Benefice council was introduced in 2012 with the intent of broadening engagement between the parishes in the Benefice. This met three times a year, sometimes with external speakers, but this year, after separate parish meetings and an open discussion for the whole Benefice, it was agreed that the two PCCs should meet simultaneously under lay chairmanship. This is expected to improve cross Benefice dialogue and to facilitate administration, service planning and other initiatives. Church Officers Each parish has, historically, been supported by two church wardens. In recent times this has been difficult to sustain both at St Leonard s and St Mary s. Current officers are: All Saints Wardens: Mr Andrew Hillman (tel: ) Mrs Janet Smith (tel: ) Secretary: Mrs Judith Hillman (tel: ) Treasurer: Mrs Gillian Wookey (tel: ) Lay Vice Chair Professor Michael Stevens (tel: ) St Mary s Warden: Mr Clive Howarth (tel: ) Secretary: Mrs Jenny Davis (tel: ) Treasurer: Mr Richard Evans (tel: ) St Leonard s Warden: Mrs Ann Sherborne (tel: ) Secretary: Mrs Jenny Davis (tel: ) Treasurer: Mr Richard Evans (tel: ) Electoral Roll and Usual Sunday Attendance Figures All Saints - the electoral roll numbers 97 and the latest usual Sunday attendance figures were 38 for Eucharist and 19 for Evensong. St Mary s - the electoral roll numbers 39 although active church membership is closer to 20. Recent attendance figures for Sunday services have averaged for Eucharist and Café Church, and for Evensong. St Leonard s - the electoral roll numbers 17 and the latest usual Sunday attendance figures were 10 or fewer for Eucharist although numbers have increased since the introduction of the revised pattern of services during the vacancy. Parish administration Previously there was no administrative support to the Rector or Benefice although a significant number of people, in addition to the PCC officers, are involved in the administration of each parish and in the support of services. Since the start of the vacancy, a part time Benefice Administrator (Mrs Trina Anstey) has been appointed. This important step will not only reduce the administrative burden on the new Rector and the church officers, but is also seen as a move towards the creation of an accessible and identifiable administrative hub for the Benefice. Finances Although falling rolls, particularly at St Mary s and St Leonard s, have raised concerns about our ability to meet payments to the Diocesan Common Fund, we have always managed to pay this and to meet the costs of essential maintenance and upkeep of the buildings. The parishes have 9

10 variable but modest reserves. Unlike the other two parishes, St Mary s benefits from an Estate Trust, which provides significant financial support in maintaining the fabric of the building. Details of the overall expenditure and parish share (Diocesan Common Fund contributions) for 2014 are as follows. All Saints Publow St Mary s Compton Dando St Leonard s Chelwood Expenditure ,347 23,700 6,300 Parish Share ,694 12,890 2,898 Parish Share Category C C D Worship and Music Sunday services In the past a service was offered in all three churches each Sunday, with at least one Eucharist (except in August when a single Benefice Sunday Eucharist was offered to facilitate holidays). However, reduction in the size of congregations led to a rationalisation in service provision and since the start of this vacancy the PCCs have agreed that the following pattern of services which is being maintained with the support of visiting clergy. Sunday of the month Services Church 1st 10:00 am Sung Eucharist 10:15 am Café Church All Saints St Mary s 2 nd 10:00 am Sung Eucharist St Mary s 3 rd 10:00 am Sung Eucharist 6:00 pm Evensong All Saints St Mary s 4 th 10:00 am Sung Eucharist 6:00 pm Evensong St Leonard s All Saints 5th 10:00 am Sung Eucharist By rotation Common Worship is used at all services except at Evensong (BCP). Lay participation varies between the churches but includes readings, intercessions and lay participation in the distribution of the Eucharist. This year, for the first time, all non Eucharistic services during Holy Week will be lay led. Refreshments are offered in church after each Sunday Eucharist We are flexible in our views for the future and our experience of this new pattern of services will help inform discussions with the new Rector about future arrangements. Weekday services An informal said Eucharist is offered at St Mary s at 10:30 am on Thursday mornings, supported by a retired priest resident in the Benefice Festivals In the recent past, services for major festivals and other events have been shared between the churches, broadly as follows: Advent Advent carol service at All Saints. Christmas two carol services (at All Saints and St Mary s); a Silver Tree service and a crib service (St Leonard s); Christingle (on Christmas Eve afternoon at All Saints ); Midnight Mass (All Saints ); and two Christmas morning Eucharists (St Mary s and St Leonard s). 10

11 Plough Sunday non Eucharistic service at St Leonard s in late January Lent Ash Wednesday Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes (All Saints ) Easter Morning Prayer at the churches by rotation on each day of Holy Week; Maundy Thursday Eucharist (St Mary s); Good Friday - a one hour service of reflection (St Leonard s); Easter Eucharist has been offered at all three churches on Easter morning but this year there will be a single Benefice Festival Eucharist at All Saints. Harvest in the past, each church has usually hosted its own Harvest Festival service, each also linked to a harvest lunch. Harvest Festival & Harvest lunch - Pensford Memorial Hall Some changes to this pattern of services have been / will be necessary during the vacancy. Other services These include an annual Songs of Praise on the Village Green (St Mary s) and Remembrance services at the war memorials in Compton Dando and Pensford. Songs of Praise on the Green at Compton Dando Café Church - St Mary s has held occasional Café Church services over the past year, in place of one of its Sunday Eucharists. These have been well supported and will now continue on the first Sunday of each month when a speaker will discuss a topic of current interest. Occasional services, including Prayer Breakfasts, are also held in the tower at St Thomas Beckett in Pensford. Occasional Offices in the Benefice (Figures for 2015) All Saints St Mary s St Leonard s Weddings Baptisms Funerals

12 Prayer Group A small prayer group, based within the All Saints congregation but open to all, meets in a parishioner s home in Pensford each Tuesday morning. Study Groups In the past, study groups have met both in Advent and in Lent although this has been an irregular pattern. Since the start of the vacancy, the weekly prayer group has provided the forum for an Advent and Lent study group. There is some enthusiasm to see study groups re established on a firmer footing. Music All Saints maintains a small women s choir, augmented by additional singers on special occasions. The parish has recently purchased a new digital organ and is fortunate to have the strong support of a part time organist and choir master (Mr Martin Sussams). Mr Sussams also plays for services at St Mary s. Mr Mervyn Cox, a member of the congregation, plays for services at St Leonard s. A Benefice Choir is formed each year for the Carol Services, with singers drawn from all Benefice parishes and beyond. Each year the choir studies a new repertoire of seasonal music, achieving a high choral standard. This choir has also sung at Passiontide and Easter, sometimes with orchestral accompaniment. Visiting choirs occasionally contribute both to worship and to occasional concerts at both All Saints and St Mary s. Avon & Somerset Police Choir in concert at All Saints Bell ringing All Saints and St Mary s each have fine peals of 6 bells. The oldest of the bells at All Saints dates from 1633 and they are rung for all regular services by an active ringing team. The ringing team at St Mary s rings for one or two services a month. The ringing floor at St Mary s is unique in being visible to the congregation through a full height glass window. The bells at both churches are frequently visited by other ringing teams. Community Ministry and Other Engagement Children and Families A Sunday school, based at All Saints, closed in 2008 for a number of reasons, not least because of a fall in regular attendance but some of its activities, notably a very successful Good Friday workshop, have continued and are open to all children across the Benefice. These have been absorbed into a programme of children s workshops, generally held three times a year, at All Saints - in Advent, on Good Friday, and during the summer holidays. These are popular and well attended. They supplement links with Pensford primary school (not a designated church school) where there is a clergy presence at some assemblies and a monthly after school activity Tea Time Madness (TTM) run by volunteers from the All Saints congregation with support from Angela Fraser, the Deanery Youth and Children s Worker. TTM consists of a programme of craft and physical activities, biblical stories and tea. It is a lively and popular event. 12

13 Members of the All Saints congregation host an annual lunch for the mothers and children of the Pensford Toddler Group but they have no other formal links to the church. The Pensford Brownie pack, with whom there were close links to All Saints, closed in 2014 because of falling numbers. There is a Guide pack in Pensford but without church links. The villages that belong to the Compton Dando parish council have a youth group that is part of the Compton Dando community association. The group is open to children from each of these five villages and meets once a month after school for an activity, usually on a Friday. The group is run by parent volunteers and applies for its own funding. There are no formal links with the church. Older People There is a good level of informal community support for older people in the Benefice but there is also an opportunity for better recognition of need and the development of a more formal visiting programme to support the elderly and housebound. A Benefice Christmas Lunch is held for Senior Citizens in the Pensford Memorial Hall. Mother s Union The Benefice supports a small branch of the Mothers Union that meets monthly in the Parish Room in Pensford. Its membership is ageing but meetings are well supported. Mother s Union display at Flower Festival Parish Magazine The Parish News is published 10 times a year. It provides publicity about activities across all the villages in the Benefice, both churchrelated and those linked to other organisations. Traditionally, the Rector writes a short piece for each edition and members of the congregation are providing these contributions during the vacancy. The magazine has been established as a financially self supporting venture for many years, with income from advertising by local businesses. There has been a recent change in the editorial team with an updating of content and presentation. The magazine is delivered, by volunteers, to all houses in the Benefice, and further afield by subscription. The appointment of the Benefice administrator will now provide a useful link with the editorial team. Fair Trade In line with the Diocesan strategy, St Mary s has already become a designated Fair Trade church and the PCC at All Saints has recently approved an application to become the same. Social and other events All of the churches are well supported by their local communities for church based events and services at major festivals. All the villages share a sense of value and importance for their church even if membership and regular attendance at services has declined. All Saints has an established programme of fund raising activities including a monthly parish market, held on a Saturday morning in the Church Room in Pensford. 13

14 Church Market There is also one major fund raising event each year. In the past these have included open gardens, fayres and concerts. The Church Wardens host an annual summer barbeque in the churchyard: this year this will be followed by a Songs of Praise service. A short series of Sunday afternoon concerts ( Music with cream teas ) was held last summer and will be repeated this year. All Saints annual summer barbeque St Mary s offers cream teas to locals and visitors on summer Sundays and last year hosted a pop up museum in the church building during the summer months. The building is sometimes used for other activities including concerts and a Christmas fair. Sunday teas at St Mary s Access to church buildings All Saints is kept open for visitors every Sunday throughout the year and also on Saturdays and Bank Holidays during summer months. The building is floodlit for evening services and on special occasions and major festivals. St Mary s is open to visitors every day of the week and the church is floodlit every evening. 14

15 Other Sources of Local Information Each of the churches has a short entry in the A church near you website: Publow with Pensford parish council has a web site: This site includes access to back numbers of Parish News, the magazine which serves the Benefice. Pensford and Publow, with its neighbouring village Stanton Drew, have a thriving Community Trust that distributes grants to local organisations and charities. Details can be found at: The village of Compton Dando has a web site: as does the Compton Dando Parish Council at: Chelwood also has a village website at: The Diocese website is available at: and Bath & North East Somerset Council at: 15

16 Our Future Priest Summary We are a rural benefice of three parishes which all recognise the need to work more closely together and to look how God s work can be done in ways better suited to current times. We are looking to our new Rector to work with us to find new ways of developing our Christian presence throughout all our communities, and beyond. We understand there will be constraints on the time available from our priest. We are committed to ensuring that the demands of the post are, as far as is possible, shared and supported by the church officers and other members of our church congregations and we have recently committed to the appointment of a part time administrator. We seek leadership and encouragement and, in return, will work enthusiastically to further develop lay engagement in all aspects of our church life. We want a priest with a sense of humour, a realistic expectation of what can be achieved, and who has the skills to recognise and facilitate the contribution of others. We hope for a priest with a strong liturgical presence who will continue to promote the central place of the Eucharist in our regular worship and who will recognise and encourage music in our services. We are willing to change the pattern of our services to meet the needs of each of our congregations, and the wider community, and to help our Rector make best use of his/her time among us. We pray that God will send someone who, by sensitive leadership, will be able to build on our enthusiasm, harness our skills, guide our development and help us provide good pastoral care. We undertake to work in partnership with him/her to share the love of God in our community, and beyond. Role Purpose to help us discern God s will for our churches. to help lead our churches in their mission, enabling us to engage with the wider community of the Benefice. to help us grow our church membership, both numerically and in their commitment to God s work. to build a sense of common purpose and develop greater co-operation between the parishes in the Benefice, making better use of all resources so that our mission is more effective Person Specification 1. Qualifications/Training Applicants for the post must have been ordained priest within the Church of England, or a Church in communion with it, or a Church whose orders it recognises, and have satisfactorily completed Initial Ministerial Education be able to demonstrate a capacity to exercise priestly ministry in a leadership role 2. Experience, knowledge and skills The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate experience, understanding, ability and a commitment to action in the following areas: helping people grow in their relationship with God in all areas of their daily life leading, inspiring and supporting lay people to develop their role in all aspects of the work of our churches encouraging worship and activities that attract and engage, children, young people and their 16

17 families. pastoral awareness and sensitivity for hidden or unmet need in our community developing the organisation, fellowship and worship across the Benefice 3. Personal Attributes The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate that he/she is: an enthusiastic and insightful priest with a prayerful spiritual life a good preacher and communicator approachable, empathetic and pastorally aware, with the skill to encourage and allow others also to provide such care a confident and resilient leader with a consensual approach to decision making open and respectful of the spectrum of Anglican practice, who values both traditional and modern forms of worship and is appreciative and supportive of the role of music in worship 4. Personal Development Candidates should be willing to take responsibility for, and have a commitment to their own personal and professional development through study, reading and appropriate training maintain a prayerful spiritual life with appropriate support e.g. through engagement with spiritual direction and retreats be able to maintain a healthy work: life balance, ensuring adequate time for family/ personal life, recreation, and holidays 5. Other Candidates should have IT skills in word processing and hold a driving licence Further Information If you would like further information about this post, please contact the Archdeacon of Bath: The Venerable Andy Piggott 56 Grange Road Saltford Bristol BS31 3AG Telephone: adbath@bathwells.anglican.org 17

18 APPENDIX : THE CHURCH BUILDINGS All Saints Church, Publow All Saints, Publow, was built in the 14 th century as a dependent chapel of the Abbey at Keynsham and has a 15 th century tower with gargoyles. The pulpit is Jacobean. It is a Grade I listed building and occupies a beautiful location beside the River Chew. The church buildings and churchyard are well maintained and in a good state of repair. The latest quinquennial inspection, conducted in 2012, identified no major items of concern. The church is equipped with a small vestry and a small kitchen. There are toilet facilities in an outside building. Much of the internal furniture is moveable and the seating configuration can be adjusted if needed. The church is also used for concerts and recitals. There is a peal of 6 bells which are rung before all main services. The PCC is presently engaged in a major plan for re-ordering which is intended to improve facilities and offer wider opportunities for the use of the building without losing the wonderful atmosphere of the simple interior and its principal focus as a place of worship. The PCC has recently approved major expenditure on a new boiler for the heating system and on enhancements to the Lady Chapel: faculty applications for both initiatives are being progressed. There is a small Church Room in Pensford that is used for meetings, including those of the PCC. The Church Room is administered and maintained by a charitable trust (the Pensford Feoffees). 18

19 St Mary s Church, Compton Dando In approaching Compton Dando from any of the four narrow lanes which lead into the village, the first sight is dominated by the tower of the Parish Church. It is sited close to the river and stands back some little distance from the main thoroughfare. The tower clock and the weather vane are clearly visible to passers by. A church has existed on this site since the 12 th century although most of the present church dates to the 14 th century. It was much modified by the Victorians. There is a peal of 6 bells, rung regularly and a 17 th century clock. The recent quinquennial inspection indicated problems with the roof lead and some masonry pointing but otherwise the fabric is in good condition and the interior and churchyard are well maintained by volunteers. A local gardening contractor is paid to cut the grass and each quarter day the Community Association spends a morning working in the churchyard. Recent work has included the building of a toilet and store in the churchyard; the installation of a glass walled ringing floor in the tower with a kitchen beneath; and a nave altar platform. The parish is also the beneficiary of a medieval trust (the Feoffees) one of whose objectives is to support the fabric of the church. Nave and Chancel with Nave Altar Platform The glass walled ringing chamber 19

20 St Leonard s Chelwood The origins of the church date from the 14 th Century but it was extensively rebuilt by the Victorians. There is a fine Norman font, a small pipe organ and the belfry contains a single ancient bell and three bells of later origin. The church has traditional pews seating approximately 80 people and has a small vestry. The church fabric is in relatively good condition and no major works were identified at the last quinquennial inspection. Cleaning, mowing of the churchyard and all other routine jobs within the church are carried out by volunteers on a rota basis. 20