St Mary's Church Beverston - A Cotswolds Church

Services & Events

We hold services at our beautiful Norman church St Mary’s, Beverston every Sunday at 10am (except on a 5th Sunday).

Our services are on the monthly pattern as below:

1^st Sunday in the month Matins
2^nd Sunday in the month Holy Communion
3^rd Sunday in the month Holy Communion
4^th Sunday in the month Matins
5^th Sunday in the month No service

All of our services follow the Book of Common Prayer. We enjoy the presence of our wonderful choir and organist at our services.

Beverston belongs to a Benefice that includes Tetbury, Shipton Moyne and Long Newnton. The Reverend Canon Poppy Hughes is the Rector of the Benefice and she is ably assisted by Reverend Dr. Steve Bullock as Curate and Reverend Pauline Setterfield as Assistant Curate. There is also a great team of retired clergy who take services.

Baptisms

Baptisms are usually held within our Sunday morning service.

Please contact us with your enquiry if you wish to arrange a Baptism as we would be delighted to discuss this with you.

Our Choir

Services at Beverston are enhanced by our wonderful choir, which enjoys the full range of soprano, alto, tenor and bass choristers. The choir has a wide repertoire ranging from Thomas Tallis to John Rutter.

In addition to enlivening our weekly services, the choir particularly enjoys its role in our highlight occasions such as the annual candlelit Carol service, the Monday of Holy Week, Harvest Festival, the Blessing of the Animals, the Patronal Festival and Remembrance Sunday.

A particular joy is to sing at weddings, christenings, funerals, thanksgiving services and civic services. The choir enjoys working closely with the organisers of these occasions to create the very best tailored musical content to produce uplifting and memorable services.

The choir holds an annual Hymnathon, a marathon sing through of 50+ hymns, to raise money both for charity and for the church.

Dr Ian Higginson is the organist at Mary's Church Beverston and is well known in the world of Church Music. He is an accomplished organist, composer, accompanist, examiner, adjudicator, teacher, choral director and orchestral conductor and in addition, Ian has performed both as a conductor and as an organist in many cathedrals and notable venues across the UK, US and Europe.

As a composer, Ian's many compositions are published by a number of UK & US music publishers which have gained much critical acclaim. Many of his choral compositions have been performed by cathedral and church choirs internationally, plus professional choirs and orchestras such as the City of Birmingham Chorus & orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic chorus & Orchestra and the Royal Northern Sinfonia chorus & orchestra. Ian's organ, piano, vocal and instrumental compositions are also published and many now appear as set works on examination syllabus's for various UK music examination boards.

Having studied the organ with two eminent cathedral organists & international recitalists - Professor Ian Tracey (Liverpool Cathedral) and the Late John Scott (formerly at St Paul's Cathedral), Ian gained several Fellowship diplomas in organ, conducting and in composition.
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Ian has held a number of prestigious positions including: Organist & Assistant Director of Music for the Cathedral Singers at Christchurch Cathedral, Oxford, as Organist & Director of Music for the University of Gloucestershire and he is currently University Fellow and Associate Professor of Sacred Music & Composition & conducting at the Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi Christian University, U.S.
Ian is also conductor of Jubilate Chamber Choir and the Cotswold Sinfonietta, as well as teaching organ, piano, voice, composition and conducting, both in schools and also privately, in addition, Ian finds time to give occasional organ recitals.

Weddings

at St Mary's, Beverston

....for the Cotswold Church wedding of your dreams

Whether you have local connections or are coming from afar and simply looking for the perfect church for your wedding – all are equally warmly welcomed at St Mary the Virgin, Beverston

Our idyllic, unspoilt village is a delightful choice for you and your guests to enjoy in a quintessentially Cotswold setting.

Weddings can take place on any day of the week to suit your own wedding plans. Our church lends itself to the smaller, more intimate occasion, comfortably seating up to 100 guests, and up to 130 when arranged with extra seating.

Our exquisite Norman church is nestled alongside Beverston Castle, one of the country’s few ancient castles that remains in private ownership and occupation. So there are numerous photographic backdrops– church, castle or indeed the adjacent glorious rolling countryside - for wonderful memories to be captured on the day.

The castle also offers accommodation which can be viewed at:
https://Beverston castle.guestybookings.com/

The ageless simplicity of our church provides an ideal canvas for your chosen floral theme, and we can recommend wonderful local florists should you wish.

Our exceptional choir and organist may be booked for your ceremony, who take great delight in working with you to create the perfect musical programme for your service.

The History of St Mary the Virgin, Beverston

A place of prayer and Christian Worship for nearly 900 years

Our beautiful Norman Church dates from 1225, said to have been built by Maurice de Gaunt at the same time that he rebuilt the adjacent Beverston Castle.
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The church has been added to and altered from time to time and consists of a Western Tower with a Nave and South Aisle.

The Transeptal Chapel and the Chancel were built by Thomas Lord Berkeley in 1361 when he refortified Beverston Castle.

The Parish Registers date back to 1565 and contain many interesting entries - chief amongst them being those which relate to the families of Shakespeare and Hathaway. Shakespeare undoubtedly knew Beverston and this part of the Cotswolds well, as he describes this district in Richard II.

By the beginning of the nineteenth century the Church had fallen into a state of disrepair and it was not until 1842, when Mr R S Holford of Westonbirt purchased the estate, that repairs were set in hand. It is probable that he used his architect Lewis Vulliamy who designed the mansion at Westonbirt and Dorchester House in Park Lane.

In 1884, when the Rev. Arthur Blomfield became rector, improvements were started and these were carried on over the next twenty-five years by the Rev. E W Evans and the Rev. J N Bromehead. During this period the rood screen was rescued from the Rector's garden where it had been acting as a pergola!

Restoration was inevitably neglected between the war years. Over the last 20 years large sums of money have had to be raised and spent to maintain the church in good repair. We are fortunate in the Beverston & Chavenage Parish today to have an active and supportive village community which continues to contribute to keeping the church and its surrounds in best possible condition for the benefit of all who use and visit.

St Mary's Church Beverston - decorated with flowers for a wedding

St Mary's Church Beverston - Meeting Room

Meetings

at St Mary’s, Beverston ….

for the most comfortable meeting in a unique location

St Mary’s Beverston offers a wonderful option for small private meetings in a welcoming and historic location. Our self contained meeting room will accommodate 8 (10 at a push) and can be booked to include the use of the pantry (self catering) and of course the church loo.

It is envisaged that WiFi at super fast speed will be available by the beginning of Q2 ’23 and heating is also available as required. Pricing is very reasonable, and is based on a modular approach depending on what facilities are to be included.

As with weddings, nothing is too much trouble for us to support you, tailored to your needs. Please do get in touch to find out more information and to check date availability.

The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Beverston