The church is open daily between 8am and 6pm for private prayer and informal visits.The church diary should contain information about any special services which might interrupt normal visiting hours.Occasionally we will need to close the church at short notice and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our visitors.School groups are welcome by arrangement. Please contact us to arrange a guided tour.Visitors are warmly welcome to attend all our regular services.The church building as we see it today began in 1132; it was constructed not only as a holy place but also as a sanctuary for the villagers in dangerous times. It had very substantial walls, with very narrow, high windows to keep out the enemy. On Saturday 13 July 1174, the day of the Battle of Alnwick, Donnchad II, Earl of Fife, commanding a column of the Scottish King William the Lion’s army, entered Warkworth and set fire to the town, killing 300 of the inhabitants who had taken refuge in the church. Around the year 1200 a tower was built at the western end of the church although the belfry and the spire were not added until the 14th century. In the 15th century the south aisle and entrance porch were added; above the porch there is a parvise which is reached by a spiral staircase; prior to 1736 it served as a schoolroom.In October 1715 Warkworth was the first market town in England to proclaim The Old Pretender as King in the Jacobite rising; his Chaplain read morning prayers in the church on 9 October. On 16 May 1761 John Wesley visited the church to preach a sermon whilst on a visit to nearby Alnwick. In 1860 there were extensive restorations with a new roof being applied, which resulted in the loss of the clerestory windows on the south wall. At the same time plaster was removed from the interior walls and the box pews were replaced by bench pews.
Sunday ServicesHoly Communion is celebrated at 9am each Sunday morning at St Lawrence. This service includes hymns and lasts about an hour.The Order of Service for Holy Communion can be found hereAudio recordings of sermons can be found hereFor video reflections from members of the Ministry Team, please click hereOn the third Sunday of the month Choral Evensong is sung at 4pm. Anyone wanting to sing with the choir is welcome to come along at 3pm to join them for their rehearsal. No regular commitment is required. Refreshments follow the service. All welcome. This service is recorded and uploaded to the Youtube channel later the same day.On the first Sunday of the month we join with the churches of the Deanery at St Michael's Alnwich for Choral Evensong at 6pm.Benefice Eucharist - 10am every Sunday via Zoom/whypay this service lasts approximately 30 mins and draws people from across the benefice to share spiritual communion with those preferring to worship at home. You do not need a Zoom account to access the service and Whypay is a free telephone service which links those on the phone with those on-line.To join this service by Zoom click here then click on the ASW logoTo join by phone for free (Whypay) dial 03330164757Room number: 33203836# Guest pin: 3770#Please note this whypay conference room is public and will only be hosted by a member of the ministry team from 09.55am for a 10.00 start. Midweek ServicesThursdays 9.30am at St Lawrence - Holy Communion This service takes place in the Lady Chapel and may be more accessible for those wanting to avoid larger gatherings.6.00pm Soul Space: AdorationThis quite half hour begins with The Litany and then moves to twenty minutes of silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament concluding with a short piece of sacred music.Fridays9.30am Morning Prayer via Zoom - lasting twenty minutes and followed by 10 mins of small group chat. You can download daily prayer here. To join this service by Zoom click here then click on the ASW logo - copy the button on the Sunday pagePeople from across the benefice join together in saying Prayer During the Day at midday wherever they may be. You can access Prayer During the Day and Night Prayer on the Time to Pray app here or download a PDF here.Elsewhere in the beneficeMon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 9am Morning Prayer at St James ShilbottleTuesdays 6.00pm at St John the Dvine Acklington - Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer (1662)Wednesdays 9.30am at St John the Divine Acklington - Celtic Morning Prayer9.30am at St James Shilbottle - Holy Communion
The Friends of Warkworth Church Do you have happy memories of a family celebration such as a Wedding or a Baptism at Warkworth Church?Did you have a final service of Thanksgiving for a loved one in this beautiful building?Does this Church mean something to you?If so, can you help us to preserve it for future generations?We need your support. Please join us today.The purpose of The Friends of Warkworth Church is:To provide an active link to those no longer living in the area who still wish to retain some roots here.To offer a point of contact so that Friends may prearrange a briefing and conducted tour of the Church when visiting Warkworth.To give financial support to the ongoing program of restoration work in the Church.Friends will receive a newsletter each year.Friends who visit Warkworth from afar and would like to have a conducted tour of the church can contact the church by using the link on this site.To become a Friend all you have to do is contact the Vicar and request an application form. Annual subscriptions can be made for membership in the following categories:Individual Membership £10.Family Membership £20.Life Membership £200 (one off payment).Subscriptions can be paid by cheque or standing order.
