St Mary's Church in Frampton is the largest church building in the Chalk Stream (built by several 'Lords of the Manor') but has the smallest congregation and a PCC of three! Our regular congregation is very welcoming and of mixed ages, whilst our celebratory and seasonal services usually fill the church. We have a heartbeat of a more traditional style of worship, but recently we have been joining together with Christians from other denominations to worship in more modern ways for special occasions.

At present we have a Common Worship Eucharist once a month and either a BCP or Common Worship evening prayer once a month, led by the churchwarden. We have had Christmas carols and a summer evening service on the village green most years. The layout and acoustic of the church makes it ideal for the Taizé services that are being re-established this Holy Week!

The Church Building

The church is a Grade I listed building with a number of elaborate monuments and a rare example of a Hebrew inscription carved into the outside of the porch. It is open every day to visitors and to those who wish to pray. The church is supported by a large number of villagers who clean, provide flowers or maintain the churchyard.

The Village

Frampton has around 200 homes, which sit either side of the river Frome, and a lively social life but apart from Dorset Alpaca Walking and Frampton Garage there are no other shops or commercial premises. A few buildings remain from Frampton House, a large estate that was once home to our patrons. The church building is highly regarded by villagers as a focal point in the village and for its history. Church members are involved in many of the wider village activities and the summer fete in particular makes a valuable contribution to the church.

Looking Ahead

Such a large building has a tremendous amount of potential to be used for a much wider range of activities and the possibility of installing the necessary facilities for this was examined, but other problems caused the project to be put on hold. We are hopeful that we might one day be able to carry out this practical investment into the future of our church and community.

Links above are coming soon!