Churches Tourism Association

The Cotswold Churches Festival is a new initiaitve, set to run from 14-22 May 2011. Many of the area’s finest churches will be welcoming visitors - 75 have already signed up – and will be putting on a whole range of events, ranging from cream teas to exhibitions and concerts. To find out more, see www.cotswoldchurchesfestival.org.

The idea for the Festival originated with the Diocese of Oxford, but includes churches from neighbouring Anglican dioceses (Gloucester, Coventry and Worcester) and other denominations.

The Bishop of Dorchester, the Rt Revd Colin Fletcher, who is chairing the Festival planning committee, says: “The Cotswolds are known across the world for their delightful scenery, picturesque villages and historic towns. At the heart of these villages and towns are their churches, which come in all shapes, sizes, ages and denominations.

“For centuries, the churches have been at the centre of community life. Far from being stuck in their history, they remain to this day vibrant centres of worship and activities serving the needs both of their regular congregations and of their wider communities, to say nothing of the many thousands of visitors who come to the Cotswolds throughout the year.

“Our new Cotswold Churches Festival gives us an opportunity to show visitors the spiritual life on offer in our churches today, alongside our rich history and tradition. We look forward to giving our visitors a warm welcome and telling our story.”

To find out more, see www.cotswoldchurchesfestival.org. You can also phone David Gambier on 0845 122 2660 or Sarah Meyrick on 01865 208224.

Notes:

The doorway that inspired the Mines of Moria in The Lord of the Rings - St Edward’s Stow-on-the-Wold – contact Bernice Magson on 01451 833840
A family history searchable database is on offer at St Barbara’s in Ashton under Hill – contact Malcolm Nelson on 01386 881778
A scarecrow festival will be held at Bampton Methodist Church – contact Miss Linden Eley at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The only ‘upstairs’ church in the Cotswolds, in the upper story of a medieval barn - the Roman Catholic church of SS Peter and Paul, Lower Brailes.- contact Fr Brian Doolan This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it