About Us

Orwell is an ancient parish in south Cambridgeshire although ecclesiastical boundaries do not always follow the much later civil boundaries. St Andrew is the Parish church of Orwell and serves a rural community of some 1035 people (census 2011).   It is also one of the churches in the Orwell Group.  The Orwell group of parishes work together led by one priest, and events such as 5th and 2nd Sunday rotate around the group while some other services are also shared (eg Healing, All Souls, and the various Easter services etc.). This offers a diversity of approaches and parts of congregations can be found moving around the parishes. Each parish has a Eucharist one Sunday in the month and at least one other service in the morning or the evening.

Currently St Andrew has a Eucharist at 09.30am on the 1st Sunday of the month an All Age service on the 3rd Sunday of the month at 11am and an Evensong on the 4th Sunday at 6pm.

St ANDREW - ORWELL

The church itself is Grade I listed (Historic England List Entry Number: 1317573) and was mainly built in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries using a fieldstone rubble construction as well as clunch ashlar. Some parts that were rebuilt in the C19th have replaced these traditional materials with local Gault clay bricks. The chancel was rebuilt in 1398 in memory of Sir Simon Burley, Lord of the manor of Orwell and tutor to the youthful Richard II. It was restored in 1883 but didn't use the gault brick that is found in the north aisle of the Nave . The tower was built c1250 followed by the arcades and aisles c1320 (the north aisle was rebuilt in the C19th).

Also of particular note is the memorial in the chancel to a former rector Jeremiah Radcliffe who was part of the team of scholars who translated the Authorised Version of the Bible. There is an interesting sculpture fragment - rediscovered in the late 19th century during restoration and rebuilding - of the crucifixion with St John dated to 1300. The clock in the tower was the original Trinity College clock before being given to Orwell in the 18th century.  The East Window is a fine modern example of work by Leonard Evitts. There is a peal of Eight Bells. Practice night is Tuesday.

The church has longstanding outreach projects such as Lent Lunches, the Pannier market, a Friends of St Andrew Orwell (FOSAC)

Services are mainly use Common Worship or are All Age. There is also a BCP evensong and early morning BCP Eucharist once a month.  Refreshments are served after the morning and evening services.  The church is well heated but access is steeply stepped both up and down into the building.