Binsted Church - the heart of our rural community
St Mary's Binsted is a pretty, 12th-century flint-built country church: it is also an important, Grade II* listed heritage building. The church sits on top of an Iron Age earthwork, overlooking a steep fenland and chalk stream valley.
This church serves the small, spreadout village of Binsted and also the larger village of Walberton nearby. It has an open, peaceful setting, with wooded countryside nearby. People often come to sit on the bench in the churchyard, enjoying its tranquility.
St Mary's Church Binsted has since the 12th century been our well-loved place of worship, and of our christenings weddings and burials. The village website icon is the church's weathercock.
The church is used for concerts, village meetings and events as well as for worship services. It has a service on the first Sunday of every month, together with special services such as Rogation when blessing is asked upon the spring crops with a pilgrimage across the fields, Harvest and Christmas Carols.
Find us: BN18 0LL
Rector of Binsted: Revd Tim Ward
St Mary's Vicarage, The Street
Walberton, Arundel, BN18 0PQ (01243) 551488Churchwardens: Carolyn Coles, Sandra Cooke
Assistant churchwarden: Kate Mills
Secretary: Judith Walker
Treasurer: Edward Martineau
Regular Services
9.00 Holy Communion on the first Sunday of each month
Special Services
Harvest 15 Sept, 4pm, Evensong
Christmas Carols 4pm Sat 21st Dec 2023 outdoors at the Old Rectory, or in the church if inclement
Christmas Day Wed 25 Dec 2024, 9.00Easter Sun 31.03.2024, 9.00 Holy Communion
Rogation Sun 5th May 2024, 18.30,
after procession over the fields
starting 18.00 at Walberton Vicarage.Other activities in the church
See noticeboard in Binsted Lane
PCC and APCM meetings - at the Old Rectory or by Zoom
Please contact Mike Tristram if you wish to have details of these meetings.
Weddings Baptisms and Burials or Interment of Ashes:
if you have a need of any of these and believe you have a qualifying connection with the village, please contact the Rector to discuss.
Our sister church St Mary's Walberton
Binsted's Christmas carol service: quiet beauty and community jollity in one lovely occasion:
Services sometimes outdoors, and, CoronavirusClick here to read our summer 2022 safety announcement
Click here for our summer 2022 Covid risk assessment
In normal times 60 or so people can fit in the church, and it has accommodated up to 100 for carol services or weddings. But, if strict 2m physical distancing is required the seats available might be as few as 12. When weather permits, chairs and a speaker and distanced seats are sometimes provided outdoors so that more can attend.
The Grade II* listed church was well restored in 1868 by Thomas Graham Jackson. It has a lovely Norman font and Jackson put in a ‘Cosmati pavement’ in the chancel in imitation of mediaeval Italian work. Some of the 12th-century wall paintings remain. The film below gives a fascinated tour of the feaetures of the church and what it would have meant to the community through the years. (A shorter version video can also be viewed on this link.)
One of the graves in the churchyard is that of Michael Wishart, a local artist and bon viveur, son of Lorna Wishart, a Bohemian beauty and lover of Lucian Freud and Laurie Lee. It has the following quote on it by Henry Vaughan, carved in beautiful Italic script: ‘He that hath found some fledg’d bird’s nest, may known/At first sight, if the bird be flown;/ But what fair well or grove he sings in now/That is to him unknown.’ A rosebush planted on his grave is flowering now. The place is full of sweet remembrance.
Binsted church is under threat from the Arundel bypass Grey Route.
The church’s setting is threatened by the new route chosen for the Arundel bypass – the ‘Grey route’, announced 15 October. A dual carriageway would cross the valley on a viaduct a few metres from the church, with traffic passing at the height of the top of the churchyard wall. See www.arundelbypass.co.uk for its parlous situation (including a video of the socially-distanced demo against the road on 23 October, in the field next to the church). The life of the church and the village would also be ruined by the road. There are planning stages to go through, and a majority of local people will fight the road plan and hope fervently that it will be cancelled. It would be so good if more people could come and enjoy its little-known beauty, peace and quiet for the next few years in case this plan goes ahead - and to help prevent it.
