About Us
St Mary Magdalene Loders is one of eight churches spread over the four parishes which make up the
Benefice of Eggardon and Colmers in south-west Dorset.
Askerswell / Loders / Powerstock / Symondsbury Church takes its responsibilities surrounding the safeguarding of children, young people, and adults who may be at risk very seriously, and works in partnership with the Diocese of Salisbury to ensure that we work in accordance with best practice at all times.
Our Parish Safeguarding Policy can be downloaded [here]
If you have any Safeguarding questions or concerns you can contact our Parish Safeguarding Officer, Glynis Ronald on 01308 459415 or the diocesan safeguarding officer Heather Bland on 07500 664800 or email [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
To see a calendar of all Sunday Services across the United Benefice, click on one of the links below:-
Services this month Services next month
Calendars for the individual churches are available using the Services and Events tab here on A Church Near You.
About our Parish
St Mary Magdalene, Loders is listed as an historic building, Grade 1, by the Royal Commission for Historic Monuments, Dorset. United Benefice Services are enhanced by an enthusiastic choir, conducted by the organist.
Early in the twelfth century, the Manor of Loders was presented by the then owner, Richard de Redvers, Earl of Devon, to the Abbey of St Mary de Montebourg, in Normandy. Some of the French monks came to Loders and established a Priory, which was subordinate to the mother house and to which its taxes were paid. Inside the church door, on your left, you will see a list of Priors and Vicars, dating from Norman times. It is certain that the present church was built on the site of a Saxon one and some Saxon work remains, notably the bowl of the font, which is made of Purbeck marble.
The organ is in good repair and was brought to the church from Crewkerne in 1903. United Benefice Services are enhanced by an enthusiastic choir, directed by the organist.
The church has an excellent set of six bells, including the tenor bell, which was cast in 1626. The bells were removed, repaired and re-hung in 2003 and are regularly rung for services. There is another bell, cast in 1647, which is on display in the church. To contact the Tower Captain, please use our contact form on this website.
The exterior of the church, built in warm yellow limestone, boasts a fine set of early fifteenth century gargoyles and grotesques, expertly restored in 1992. There are many historic gravestones in the churchyard, nine of them Grade II listed table tombs.
The parish also has a chapel of ease at Dottery. This is one of the few remaining "Tin Tabernacle" buildings still in regular use for services anywhere in the country. Holy Communion services are held at Dottery twice each month: See the list of Services and Events for details.