Facilities and features
Accessibility
The toilet is at the back of church.
It is level access but is narrow and difficult for wheelchairs.
At the Parish Hall on Blackpits Road OL11 5NG - about 200m from church
Please contact us in advance - we may be able to arrange parking on the church driveway
There is a small step at the main door of church and a ramp for wheelchairs and pushchairs is available on request.
Disabled access is via the main church driveway and paved path through the churchyard. The path is uneven in places - please contact us if you need help.
Larger print books are available on request - please ask a sidesperson
Assistance dogs are welcome at all our services
Gluten free communion wafers are available on request.
There is a small step at the main door of church and a ramp for wheelchairs and pushchairs is available on request.
Disabled access is via the main church driveway and paved path through the churchyard. The path is uneven in places - please contact us if you need help.
Inside the church we have shortened some pews to accommodate wheelchairs and pushchairs.
The toilet is level access but is narrow and difficult for wheelchairs.
Our Building
In 2024 we moved a wooden reredos from behind the altar to the north aisle. This as revealed the long-hidden lower section of our magnificent East Window, which now again shows Earth as well as Heaven.
Other stained glass includes a window showing St Peter and St Paul.
St Paul's is a Grade II listed building, consecrated in 1861
We have only just started, but are proud to have received our Bronze award already.
You will notice some areas of the churchyard with longer grass, more dead wood for insects and more wildflowers, and you might spot our new bat box.
Much more to come so watch this space!
Music and Worship
We occasionally hold live concerts featuring local choirs and orchestras
We have an Allen Digital organ, installed in 2008
Evensong once a month is nearly always BCP
Groups, Courses and Activities
As well as occasional ad hoc events like Flower Festivals and concerts, we regularly participate in Heritage Open Days during September.
We organise and support the village Act of Remembrance on Remembrance Sunday each year.
Our annual Christmas Fair in the parish hall on the last Saturday in November is always great fun and well supported by the local community.
We also organise and support community events for special occasions such as the Coronation of King Charles III.
Many community groups use our parish hall, including arts & crafts, dance, and the indoor bowls club
The local Mothers Union group is based at our sister church of St Michael's Bamford.
At St Paul's we have our Anglican Ladies group, established many years ago and still meeting regularly each month for intersting trips and talks.
Help for Visitors
There is a limited free WiFi service available in church on request.
We have a new self-guided tour book available free of charge (paid for by the Heritage Lottery Fund).
Versions are available for adults and children, so everyone can explore our church and learn a little about its place in the local community.
The Very Outer Boundary of Civilization - A brief history of Norden Parish, Rochdale by Ernest Price
Available on request, price £2.50
Refreshments are available after services and events at our small servery at the back of church.
Visitors are very welcome to join us for worship, of course, and the church is open for about an hour before and after published service times as well. The church is open during choir practice on Wednesday evenings and at certain other times that vary throughout the year.
Please Get in Touch if you'd like to visit our lovely church.
Other Features
We are proud to be a Fair Trade church, and we often have a Fair Trade stall in church after services for the sale of ethical goods.
We take donations of basic food items at the back of church, which our volunteers regularly deliver to the Rochdale Food Bank
Services often include the use of a large screen TV to illustrate and support the theme.
The Parish Hall on Blackpits Road is available for hire.
Please contact Julia Slack on 01706 632828