St. Peter Hanwell

News from The Archdeaconry

“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Alicia Baker as the next Rector of the Ironstone Benefice.  Alicia will move to Wroxton in April and be licensed as Rector on Tuesday 4th May at 7pm.

Alicia writes: ‘ After 8 years in Cradley Heath and Dudley Wood we have achieved a lot in the community and in the church. As others have before me, I pass on the baton to another priest whose privilege it will be to work with the great people of that parish. For me, I am so looking forward to a new adventure in the Ironstone Benefice living and working amongst the wonderful people there, especially in the schools.’

Alicia grew up in Cirencester at the other end of the Cotswolds. She became a Christian while at University after a ‘Damascus Road’ conversion. After teaching music for ten years she pursued full-time ministry in the church. After a year in Peru working with mission partners there, she trained for ordained ministry and has since worked in London, Welsh Valleys, and the Black Country. She is now happy to be moving back nearer to family and is delighted to take up the post of Rector in the Ironstone Benefice.”

Ironstone Benefice Vacancy – closing date 26 November 2021.

Please see the attached link with reference to the above mentioned vacancy.

Ironstone Benefice Administrative Assistant advert (1)

St Peter’s Church is currently open for private prayer and visits.

Please respect the current guidelines of keeping a safe distance.  Please wash your hands prior to and after you have visited.

The twelfth century church of St Peter, Hanwell lies some three miles to the north of the market town of Banbury, surrounded by the beautiful North Oxfordshire countryside.

Point of contact – Philip Ledger 01295 738174.

Friends of Hanwell Church

While many of us in Hanwell do not attend the church regularly, there remains a very pressing need to safeguard the church itself. I want very much to encourage a committed group – FRIENDS OF HANWELL CHURCH.

Among many things, the role of this group would be to help with fundraising-something that will become more and more important in the near future – and also to form working parties from time to time to carry out easy but essential maintenance. There are many tasks which fall into this workbasket, but they will include clearing the land gullies, using ladders to clear out gutters and downpipes (inefficient or blocked rainwater systems are the biggest enemy of old church buildings), and where possible, painting of said rainwater systems. Those who wish to preserve the church as a valuable feature of the village will soon find significant satisfaction in helping in this way. What is quite clear is that the churchwarden cannot possibly do all that is necessary and that importing outside commercial ‘labour’ to do the essential tasks – which we could easily do ourselves – would very soon exhaust the church’s funds – very soon! The church has just spent some £20k plus on essential fabric repair and is no longer ‘flush with money’ – if it ever was.

Many churches have established such groups and they have helped enormously in the maintenance of their church. We, in Hanwell, are the inheritors of a Grade I listed church, steeped in history and I hope that many of you will agree that its routine maintenance is a task in which we can all assist.

If you are willing to commit to being a Friend of Hanwell Church, please inform the PCC Secretary – Philip Ledger on 738174– so that when help is needed we know on who to call.

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