St Mary's
Snettisham
YOUR LOCAL CHURCH WHERE ALL ARE WELCOME
St Mary's Church, Old Church Rd, Snettisham, King's Lynn PE31 7NA
ABOUT US
Welcome to St Mary's Church in Snettisham
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St Mary's is a friendly, welcoming Christian church determined to encourage the Lord's work in this part of Norfolk. As well as being a centre for Christian worship for over 700 years, the church provides a safe haven for our community and regularly holds concerts, recitals and other events which attract both church and village alike.
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For any enquiries please contact:
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Church Warden & Safeguarding Officer
Andy Gee
Tel: 07786 330980
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Church Warden
Sarah Keen
Tel: 01485 544374
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Our Safeguarding Commitment
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We are committed to Safeguarding Children, Young People, Victims/perpetrators of Domestic Abuse and Vulnerable Adults. The PCC has adopted the Church of England’s policies and best practice on safeguarding.
OUR CHURCH
A brief history of St Mary's
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"The most exciting
14th Century decorated church in Norfolk"
Nikolaus Pevsner
Describe your image
St Mary's church with its 175 foot tall tower and spire, sits on high ground above the village of Snettisham, West Norfolk, and was often a landmark for mariners navigating The Wash.
The present church was built in 1340, but a previous church existed and Snettisham village was built around it. The Black Death sadly destroyed the original village.
St Mary's church was regarded by architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner as the best "decorated" church in East Anglia. Its stone spire, soaring 175 feet, is a rarity in Norfolk, with only the Cathedral and three other churches having one.
The stained-glass windows alone are spectacular with an equally impressive Medieval pulpit and eagle lectern. Various hatchments decorate the vestry and, for such a small Norfolk village, St Mary's dominates the skyline.
As well as being a centre for Christian worship for over 700 years, the church provides a safe haven from the busyness of 21st Century life - and regularly holds concerts, recitals and other events which attract both church and village alike.
OUR COMMUNITY
Our vision is to love God and love people
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CONNECT WITH US
Friends of St Mary's was set up for those with or without faith who are interested in supporting and protecting the church building itself and the significant role it plays within the village and the wider community.
@fosmsnettisham
Click the Facebook icon to view and follow the Friends of St Mary's Facebook page
FOLLOW US
Follow our Facebook Page for the latest news and events at St Marys.
@snettishamstmaryschurch
Click the Facebook icon to view our full Facebook page
"St.Mary's is a church that passionately worships God, reaches out to others and positively impacts our community"
Rev, Dan Tansey
ST.MARY'S NEWS
What has been going on at St Mary's?
WARMING UP......
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One great advantage of the mild weather is that the church hasn’t been utterly freezing this autumn! But it is getting colder! So we’ve been busily improving the heating system, and our Fabric Officer, David McGuinness, has been working hard to get the central heating working as well as possible for this winter.
But with a building this size the radiators will never make it warm enough on their own, so David and Andy Gee (Churchwarden) have also been coordinating the rewiring of the sockets around the church to handle a 3-phase current, so we can power infrared heaters to warm the people in the pews, and not just the bats in the rafters.
You likely be amazed at the complexity and cost of installing 3-phase electricity in a building like St Mary’s. We won’t bore you with the details, but if you’re really interested maybe buy David and Andy a pint sometime so they can talk you through it!
In all seriousness though, it’s only thanks to the donations made by the regular congregation and the Friends of St Mary’s that this work has been possible. And the heart behind it has largely been to make the church as comfortable as possible for the members of the community and visitors from around the world, who flock into the church over the Christmas season. So thank you to everyone who has played a part in this work.
The next phase is to buy more of the infrared heaters and find a way to mount them around the church that doesn’t overly impact on the look and feel of the building. As with the electrical supply, this is more complex and expensive than you might imagine! But we will get there. If you would like to support this effort in any way please contact Rev Dan at revdantansey@gmail.com.
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ACCESSIBILITY IN CHURCH
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Of course, you’ve got to get into the building in the first place! We’ve made a small temporary change at the west door to make access easier for people with restricted mobility. Previously the handrails leading up the path stopped at the end of the yew bushes, with little support going up the steps to the door. We’ve now extended the left-hand rail so it goes around the bend and up the first steps, with only a small gap to cross before reaching the next rail, making it a little easier to get to the door.
This is only a temporary measure because we have long term plans to make the west door fully accessible for all. We have commissioned a specialist architect to design a solution that will mean that everyone, regardless of their mobility, can independently access the church via the west door. Once again, this is complex and expensive to do, given the steep slope and the simple fact that it’s a churchyard, but we think it’s really important that everyone in the community can comfortably get into their Parish church.
So autumn has been very much about getting the church ready for Advent and Christmas when we will be welcoming hundreds of people through the doors.
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS 2023
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For 2023 we have every intention of putting on another stunning light display at St Mary’s church. At the time of writing this we are still trying to raise the funds to put on this popular (world-renowned?) spectacle. The exact date of the switch-on is still to be confirmed, but it will be pretty obvious when it happens…
If you love this display and want to support it, please get in touch with Rev Dan asap!
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SUPPERS & LUNCHES
Thursdays & Fridays
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We continue to host shared meals, cleverly named Thursday Suppers (7pm at Park Farm Visitor’s Centre) and Friday Lunches (12:30pm at the Church Hall, Station Rd).
These gatherings are a great opportunity to meet new people and also include some light teaching and discussion of Christian life. These are free events, and any donations made will go to support the Hunstanton & District Food Bank. Everyone is welcome!
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EVENTS THIS WINTER
What's on at St Mary's over the next few months
Advent & Christmas
OUR SERVICES & EVENTS
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MONDAY 4TH DECEMBER
Uniform Groups Carol Service - 6pm in church
Supported by the Salvation Army Band
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SUNDAY 10TH DECEMBER
Carol Service - 10am in church
A traditional Carol Service with all the trimmings!
Live Nativity - 12-3pm in church
Park Farm will be bringing along the usual livestock for this fantastic walk-through nativity experience! Expect sheep, ponies, goats and hopefully and alpaca (subbing in for a camel) and lots of fun! Followed by......
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Nativity Service - 3pm in church
We’ll finish the day with a short traditional Nativity service, complete with carols, a crib and silly clothes!
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FRIDAY 22ND DECEMBER
Carols in the Village - 6pm onwards in Snettisham Village
Back by popular demand, and led by the Salvation Army band, everyone is invited to come together for a good singsong around the village. We will meet outside the Co-op at 6pm, then cross over to The Close to sing for the residents there. Then we'll go to the village square before heading to the Rose & Crown and then finish up at the Queen Victoria Pub. This is about celebrating Christmas together in song, and all singing abilities are welcome!
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SUNDAY 24TH DECEMBER
​Christingle Service - 4pm in church
Probably the most popular service of the year!
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Midnight Communion - 11pm in church
A beautiful reflective candle-lit service
MONDAY 25TH DECEMBER
Christmas Day Holy Communion - 10am in church
Celebrating the true light of Christ coming into the world!
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Everyone welcome!
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​OUR SERVICES
Living the Life
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SUNDAY WORSHIP
Our Sunday Services at St Mary's start at 10am
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These are very relaxed and accessible services for everyone, and the regular congregation are always welcoming and friendly.
We also now have an Activity Space for Children and creative types to use during services.
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Everyone who’s been Christened is welcome to come forward for bread and wine at Holy Communion or for a simple blessing if you’d prefer. Or you don’t have to come forward at all if you don’t want to! We’re also happy to bring the bread and wine to you if it’s difficult for you to get up to the front of the church.
Morning Worship is a regular church service but without Holy Communion. Tea, coffee and cakes are served after every service!
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We have also added an extra BCP Holy Communion service to each month, held at 8.30am on the first and third
We also meet for Coffee & Prayers on Friday mornings. Some come along and chatter away, and others sit quietly and enjoy praying with others in their own way.
Below is a timetable of everything that’s coming up at St Mary’s between now and the end of February 2024. Everyone is welcome at every service and event!
Sunday 3rd December
8.30am
BCP Holy Communion
St Mary's Church
Sunday 3rd December
10.00am
Holy Communion
St Mary's Church
Sunday 10th December
10.00am
Carol Service
St Mary's Church
Sunday 10th December
3.00pm
Nativity Service
St Mary's Church
Sunday 17th December
8.30am
BCP Holy Communion
St Mary's Church
Sunday 17th December
10.00am
Holy Communion
St Mary's Church
Sunday 24th December
4.00pm
Christingle Service
St Mary's Church
Sunday 24th December
11.00pm
Midnight Communion
St Mary's Church
Monday 25th December
10.00am
Christmas Day Holy Communion
St Mary's Church
Sunday 31st December
10.00am
Morning Worship
St Mary's Church
Sunday 7th January
8.30am
BCP Holy Communion
St Mary's Church
Sunday 7th January
10.00am
Holy Communion
St Mary's Church
Sunday 12th November
10.00am
Remembrance Sunday
St Mary's Church
Sunday 14th January
8.30am
BCP Holy Communion
St Mary's Church
Sunday 21st January
10.00am
Holy Communion
St Mary's Church
Sunday 28th January
10.00am
Morning Worship
St Mary's Church
Sunday 4th February
8.30am
BCP Holy Communion
St Mary's Church
Sunday 4th February
10.00am
Holy Communion
St Mary's Church
Sunday 11th February
10.00am
Morning Worship
St Mary's Church
Sunday 18th February
8.30am
BCP Holy Communion
St Mary's Church
Sunday 18th February
10.00am
Holy Communion
St Mary's Church
Sunday 25th February
10.00am
Morning Worship
St Mary's Church
OTHER SERVICES & CEREMONIES
We are here for you
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CONTACT US
If you have any enquiries please don't hesitate to contact us:
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Church Warden
Sarah Keen
Tel: 01485 544374
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Church Warden and Safeguarding Officer
Andy Gee
Mobile: 07786 330980
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Privacy Policy
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FIND US
At the heart of the village
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St Mary's Church
Old Church Rd
Snettisham
King's Lynn
Norfolk
PE31 7NA
Limited parking on road outside church
Wheelchair access
We look forward to welcoming you to St Mary's Church