Hooke: St Giles

This interesting church is dedicated to St Giles who was an Abbott in Southern France. Legend has it that he was a wealthy Greek who has renounced all his money in favour of a simple religious life as a hermit in a forest. One day the King of the Goths was hunting deer and one ran to St Giles for protection. The King released an arrow, but there seems to be some uncertainty as to whether the hermit or the hind was shot. Whatever the outcome, the king founded a monastery and installed St Giles as the Abbott.

Hooke St. Giles is part of the Beaminster Area Team Ministry which covers 50 square miles of beautiful rural West Dorset and consists of 14 individual parishes plus the chapel in the grounds of Mapperton House. Our worship shows a wonderful variety of styles ranging from services from the Book of Common Prayer to the child-centred Messy Church, with music a vital part of our activities.

You can find more information about our services, events, activities, and contact details via our website: beaminsterteamchurches.org

Melplash: Christ Church

Christ's Church, Melplash was built between 1845 and 1846. Its construction was funded by James Bandinell in memory of his father, who had been vicar of Netherbury, some 3 miles from Melplash. James Bandinell was at one time secretary to William Wilberforce. The church was designed and built by Benjamin Ferrey, a pupil of Augustus Pugin and a friend of his son Augustus WN Pugin, and is a Neo-Norman structure, based on a church in Shoreham, in Sussex. (The Neo-Norman style was apparently very popular in the 1840s).

Christ Church Melplash is part of the Beaminster Area Team Ministry which covers 50 square miles of beautiful rural West Dorset and consists of 14 individual parishes plus the chapel in the grounds of Mapperton House. Our worship shows a wonderful variety of styles ranging from services from the Book of Common Prayer to the child-centred Messy Church, with music a vital part of our activities.

You can find more information about our services, events, activities, and contact details via our website: beaminsterteamchurches.org

Netherbury: St Mary

Netherbury was once one of the largest parishes in Dorset and the size and prominence of the church reflects its importance in the locality. It is possible that Netherbury had an earlier church than the present building. The Font is late 12th Century and a drawing in Dorchester Museum shows it with longer pillars and without base and step. The Piscina is 13th Century. The Nave has 14th Century arcades north and south.

Netherbury St Mary is part of the Beaminster Area Team Ministry which covers 50 square miles of beautiful rural West Dorset. The team consists of 14 individual parishes plus the chapel in the grounds of Mapperton House. Our worship shows a wonderful variety of styles ranging from services from the Book of Common Prayer to the child-centred Messy Church, with music a vital part of our activities.

You can find more information about our services, events, activities, and contact details via our website: beaminsterteamchurches.org

Salway Ash: Holy Trinity

The church was described by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as "rather Home Counties with tilled roofs" and is brilliantly sited to take advantage of its high commanding position. At 250 feet above sea level, the views are wonderful. Prior to the building of the present church, the vicar of Beaminster and Netherbury, the Reverend William Bookland BA, built a chapel of ease at Coles Ash, which opened in 1842. Although called a chapel of ease, the new building was only a licensed room for divine services. This meant that funerals and weddings had to be conducted at Netherbury. The chapel doubled during the week as a schoolroom and the arrangement continued until the opening of Holy Trinity and it remains part of the school to this day.

Holy Trinity Salway Ash is part of the Beaminster Area Team Ministry which covers 50 square miles of beautiful rural West Dorset. The team consists of 14 individual parishes plus the chapel in the grounds of Mapperton House. Our worship shows a wonderful variety of styles ranging from services from the Book of Common Prayer to the child-centred Messy Church, with music a vital part of our activities.

You can find more information about our services, events, activities, and contact details via our website: beaminsterteamchurches.org

Seaborough: St John

The present church was enlarged, re-roofed and re-seated in 1882 when the chancel was added to a design by Crickmay of Weymouth. The Transept, built in 1729, stands on 16th century foundations. The segment on the North window-sill of the Transept is the head of a small column with typical 12th century chevron mouldings which was later converted for use as a piscina with drain. This would almost certainly have been the piscina used in the church from 1415 until the 1882 enlargement when a new one was taken into use. The entire building was re-roofed last in 1988; the Bell-cot being strengthened and repaired at the same time.

St John Seaborough is part of the Beaminster Area Team Ministry which covers 50 square miles of beautiful rural West Dorset. The team consists of 14 individual parishes plus the chapel in the grounds of Mapperton House. Our worship shows a wonderful variety of styles ranging from services from the Book of Common Prayer to the child-centred Messy Church, with music a vital part of our activities.

You can find more information about our services, events, activities, and contact details via our website: beaminsterteamchurches.org

South Perrott & Chedington: St Mary

From the outside the church of St. Mary is an oddly complex mass, short and heavy, but inside it all fits simply together. The central tower has four identical arches from the early 13th century, with the north transept and nave a little later. The chancel and south transept were rebuilt between 1907 and 1913.

South Perrott & Chedington St Mary is part of the Beaminster Area Team Ministry which covers 50 square miles of beautiful rural West Dorset. The team consists of 14 individual parishes plus the chapel in the grounds of Mapperton House. Our worship shows a wonderful variety of styles ranging from services from the Book of Common Prayer to the child-centred Messy Church, with music a vital part of our activities.

You can find more information about our services, events, activities, and contact details via our website: beaminsterteamchurches.org

Mosterton: St Mary

The name of Mosterton is derived from the original name of Mortestorne. The Doomsday Book confirms that there was a Chapel in Mortestorne in 1086, situated on the opposite side of the road from Chapel Court. The Chapel was taken down in 1832 but the site of the Chapel and Graveyard is still visible in the lane opposite to Chapel Court Farm. Several gravestones can still be seen there, marking the position of interments. The present St Mary‘s Church was built in 1833 to a design by Edmund Pearce, which is his only recorded church in the county.

St Mary's Mosterton is part of the Beaminster Area Team Ministry which covers 50 square miles of beautiful rural West Dorset. The team consists of 14 individual parishes plus the chapel in the grounds of Mapperton House. Our worship shows a wonderful variety of styles ranging from services from the Book of Common Prayer to the child-centred Messy Church, with music a vital part of our activities.

You can find more information about our services, events, activities, and contact details via our website: beaminsterteamchurches.org

Stoke Abbott: St Mary

Nearby on Waddon Hill evidence has been found of the Roman occupation and there was probably a Saxon church on the present site. This is an ancient place, which was mentioned in the Domesday Book as belonging to the Bishop of Salisbury.

St. Mary's Stoke Abbott is part of the Beaminster Area Team Ministry which covers 50 square miles of beautiful rural West Dorset. The team consists of 14 individual parishes plus the chapel in the grounds of Mapperton House. Our worship shows a wonderful variety of styles ranging from services from the Book of Common Prayer to the child-centred Messy Church, with music a vital part of our activities.

You can find more information about our services, events, activities, and contact details via our website: beaminsterteamchurches.org

Beaminster: St Mary of the Annunciation

There has been a church in Beaminster since Saxon times, although no one knows exactly where it was. The present truly magnificent building, set slightly above the little town it serves, rests upon a site where once a Norman structure stood.

St. Mary's Beaminster is the central church of the Beaminster Area Team Ministry which covers 50 square miles of beautiful rural West Dorset and consists of 14 individual parishes plus the chapel in the grounds of Mapperton House. Our worship shows a wonderful variety of styles ranging from services from the Book of Common Prayer to the child-centred Messy Church, with music a vital part of our activities.

You can find more information about our services, events, activities, and contact details via our website: beaminsterteamchurches.org

"The parish of Beaminster: St Mary of the Annunciation is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs. The Diocese of Salisbury’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services."