Christ Church, Worton and Marston © Gerry Lynch
Christ Church serves the villages of Worton and Marston. It has big leaded-light windows which makes it a lovely bright church to worship in, even when the skies are grey. We have tea and coffee every Sunday, and are renowned for our tradition of baking cakes to share. Our Sunday services are all at 9.30 am. The family service on the fourth Sunday of the month is open to adults too!
Visitors are always welcome, and it’s OK to pop in for a look if you just want to try church.
The church is open for private prayer and reflection every day.
We have our own church website — click here to visit.
Normal Pattern of Services
First Sunday of the Month
9.30 am Holy Communion
Second Sunday of the Month
9.30 am Morning Praise
Third Sunday of the Month
9.30 am Holy Communion
Fourth Sunday of the Month
9.30 am Family Service
Services for the coming Sunday are here.
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Getting Here
Address – Church Lane, Worton, SN10 5SH – we are connected directly to Marston by the footpath to Plough Lane.
What3Words – ///hurt.attaching.beard; Google Maps link; latitude and longitude 51.3152, -2.0434.
History
Christ Church is an early Victorian church, consecrated in 1841; before that villagers had to walk around 2 km into Potterne to go to Church, and the nearby Methodist Chapel at Marston was much closer. It was positioned deliberately to serve the residents of both Worton and Marston, being placed almost on the boundary between the villages. The Wesleyan Chapel a few hundred metres away on Worton High Street, now disused, was completed in 1848 despite being an easy stroll from Marston. The 1840s obviously witnessed a bit of an Anglican-vs-Methodist ecclesiastical arms race in these villages!
The land for the church was donated by Charles Snell Kensington, who is buried in a brick vault under the chancel of the church.
This is a simple but handsome church, with attractive box pews; the pulpit may be 18th Century, and therefore older than the church. Christ Church was built to designs of the famous West Country church architect TH Wyatt and his partner David Brandon, in a gentle Gothic revival style using ashlar blocks, and with an octagonal stone bellcote. Christ Church is Grade II listed. Pevsner described its windows as “oddly tall, slim”.