Regular events and activities
Meeting people in St Mary's
Music at St Mary the Virgin
We welcome new members to both St Mary’s church choir and our music group. Please contact John Lawes, tel 0118 988 2526 for more details.
Beech Hill Bible study group
On Thursday mornings there is a Bible study group in the village – please contact Penelope Carter, tel 0118 988 3714 for more information.
Crafts and more at the shop
We meet every 2nd Friday of the month between 2 and 4pm in the cafe at the Village Shop in the church.
This group is open to everyone who enjoys crafting. You do not have to be a member of the church.
Crafts are fun to do, but many of them are solitary occupations, so we thought we would start a group for like-minded people to get together.
There is no cost to come along, but we all usually have some tea and cake at some point, so bring some money for that.
Because space is limited in the café, crafts which are very portable are the best to bring along. We have sewers, knitters, crocheters, embroiderers and even those who enjoy filling in adult colouring books. In fact, you don't even need to bring anything along, just come and join us and sit and chat (and we do a lot of that!).
We look forward to welcoming you.
If you would like further information, please contact Jane Bell on
A Rural Tradition
The church is usually the starting point for the annual beating of the bounds’ Rogation service and walk.
We begin in church and then walk around the village, stopping at various points to pray for God’s blessing on our crops, animals, homes, gardens and working life.
Traditionally known as ‘beating the bounds’, we finish back at the church for tea and cake.
St Mary the Virgin Volunteering
We always welcome new volunteers to St Mary the Virgin, to help with:
- Flower arranging
- Reading
- Sidesperson
And for those already volunteering, click here for the current and next month's service rota...
Village Shop - Now Closed
The Village Shop at Beech Hill is based in the north aisle of St Mary the Virgin and is open from 8.30am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 1.00pm on Saturdays and is closed on Sundays. We also have Butterfield’s Tearoom within the church which supplies beverages, homemade cakes and sandwiches as a takeaway or eat-in service. The shop is managed by Sam and Jude with a great team of volunteers. They will do everything they can to make you feel welcome.
The shop was opened in February 2013 after two years of preparatory work, fundraising and support from the National Lottery's Big Lottery Fund and Plunkett Foundation.
In 2016, the shop was a finalist in the Countryside Alliance awards, with Jude and Sam attending the House of Lords to receive their award. In fact, the judges told Sam and Jude that they were in the top 13 out of 4,500 nominees. The shop was lucky to receive huge publicity, with radio interviews, two airings on BBC South Today, an article on Get Reading and a full page photo and more in the Saturday Telegraph supplement. The publicity has brought many new visitors to our beautiful historic church who also enjoy our tearoom.
Click the shop logo or this link - www.bhvshop.co.uk - to find out more.
The Village Shop at Beech Hill
CLOSED FROM SPRING 2019
Fresh food, friendly service
St Mary's Church, Beech Hill. Tel: 0118 327 2645
- Freshly ground coffee, specialist teas
- Fresh bread, milk, eggs, dairy
- Fresh fruit and vegetables
- Jams and preserves
- Locally produced meat
- Magazines
- Cards and cashback
- Free WiFi
Open 8:30 to 18:00
Monday to Friday
9:00 to 13:00
Saturday
