Welcome to St Michael and All Angels’ Church, Bampton. You are welcome to join us as we worship, meet together, or just be part of the parish. Where ever you are in your spiritual life, we hope you find reassurance, healing, forgiveness and perhaps challenge with us.
Worship
Each Sunday we meet at 11.00am for worship alternating, 1st and 3rd Holy Communion and 2nd and 4th Morning Prayer. There is also a monthly informal service starting at 5pm in the Bampton Library And Resouce Centre (LARC) called ‘Live@5’ with more contemporary music and forms of prayer.
Special services through the year celebrate Easter, Harvest, Remembrance Sunday and Christmas.
Children’s Worship is organised on the first Sunday of the month and include activities and songs to bring a new generation of children to the great stories of the Bible.
Bampton Church of England School has celebration services for Easter and Christmas each year.
History
St Michael and All Angels is situated in the centre of Bampton in a large elliptical churchyard, which might indicate a pagan origin to the site. The Saxon Church was probably built with wood. The present stone structure is mainly 14th and 15th century although parts, especially the tower, date back to 12th century. It is Grade 1 listed.
Much restoration work was needed in 1870s and additions over the decades have given the building many interesting and quirky features:
- Three green men faces
- 17th century churchwardens’ chest
- Stocks which last held a criminal in 1862
- Memorial plaque to a death by icicle 1776
- Reredos with a painting by Richard Cosway
- Ring of six bells from 1800 and rung regularly by the Troyte Ringing Centre
The churchyard remains open but it is anticipated to become full in the next ten years. A list of burials and a plan of the churchyard are available in church and on the Bampton town website.
More information about the history of the church:
Events
There are fundraising events, especially by the bellringers, but also for charities such as Christian Aid, CHAT (Churches Housing Action Trust), Embrace the Middle East, and of course The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
Community
We have special services for events such as remembering the Queen, celebrating the accession of His Majesty King Charles and the annual Remembrance Day observance, all of which see many members of the parish joining in.
We host local uniformed organisations celebrating St George’s Day.
Find us
Postcode: Bampton, EX16 9NG
Accessibility:
- We are just across from the main town car park.
- We have two ramps which are quickly put into place to allow wheelchair users, buggy and pram pushers to have easy access to the church. There is a doorbell at the entrance if the door is closed.
- There is a loop system for those with hearing aids that can switch to the “T” position. Many have said that the audio system is clear enough. We can use Bluetooth to channel sound into the PA system.
- We have large print versions of the service sheets.
- There are toilet facilities to the north of the church. These public conveniences are located by the car park opposite The Swan pub.
