About St Mary's Church

Chediston is a pretty village with a population of approximately 160, which is split into four areas: Housing clustered around the church; Chediston Green, about half a mile to the north west of the church; a number of houses along the B1123 towards Harleston and several family farms within the parish. The church and Old Church School Room provide the main centre for the community to meet. Activities there include table tennis, carpet bowls, craft, quizzes, social events and fund-raisers. Chediston has always been a very sociable, community-minded village with everyone, church goers and non-church goers, looking out for each other.  A much-treasured annual event is the Christmas Fair held in the School Room that has kept the same simple and successful format for many years.  During December in the past few years, we have had a very large Christmas tree in the church as a centrepiece to a festive community drinks party.

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Presently, our congregation is small, averaging 6-9 at a service, having reduced significantly over the past 3 years, due to several of our congregation moving out of the village and the more elderly finding it increasingly difficult to make the journey to church on a Sunday morning.  New people have moved into the village and our regular worshippers would love to welcome all who wish to come to church even occasionally.

Earliest records of a parish church in Chediston date back to the Domesday Survey of 1086, but most likely in its present plan, it was built in the 13th century. Parts of the nave are probably Norman. It was significantly added to in the 14th and 15th centuries and restored in 1895. Most recently, in 2009 repairs to the tower and restoration of the ground-floor ring of six bells took place and in 2024, a generous legacy enabled the PCC to have the Copeman Hart organ rebuilt by Wyvern Organs, so that it is now a wonderful instrument to play and to listen to. The beauty of our Grade 1 listed church is in its simplicity and the fact that it is cared for.  The building is full of natural light and has a lovely acoustic.  It also contains a surprisingly large number of fascinating historical features, including: the communion rail; a font decorated with wood-woses and other motifs; a 14th century chest; an Erasmus Paraphrase Bible; a Commandments panel and carved pulpit. 

The churchyard is in current use for burials and interments, and provides valuable environmental green space for wildlife. The wild flower meadow is particularly beautiful in Spring and early Summer.  Visitors regularly come to search for ancestors in the churchyard.

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Church activities include: 

 An average of two services per month, usually the second and fourth Sundays 

 The enormously popular Christmas Eve Candlelit Carol Service

 Team services in rotation within the benefice

 Special services for Mothering Sunday, Harvest Thanksgiving and Remembrance Sunday 

 An active band of ringers within the benefice who ring for Sunday morning services and practice on the first Thursday evening once a month 

 Art, Music and Poetry events

 Recitals - singing and organ 

 A Church Elder and one Churchwarden

 A small PCC with treasurer, secretary and community representative, which meets 3 or 4 times a year

In 2021, post-covid, there were three summer weddings. Baptisms, funerals and internment of ashes have taken place.

Information contributed by the Churchwarden and Church Elder