On this page:
Overview
The foundation stone to St Peter’s Church was laid on 11th April 1882. St Peter’s is also the mother church to Gorsley’s Christ Church, the building of which was completed in 1893.
In 1984 the Parish of Gorsley and Clifford’s Mesne was made a United Benefice with Newent. Nowadays the church maintains a small but devoted congregation, who faithfully keep St Peter’s maintained in good order.
The current Parish Priest is The Reverend Canon S. Mason.
Church Grounds
The land surrounding the church, including the burial ground, occupies about one acre. The land is carefully managed for wildlife (flora and fauna) and the team are very enthusiastic about their ecological successes. For example the mowing regime was changed so that the wildflowers would benefit. (There are less coarse grasses which would outcompete the other plants). In turn the wildlife also benefits – more bees and other insects and animals. Watch the video on Facebook.
Churchyards across the country, with their undisturbed grasslands (which are rare), do add up to a valuable resource for biodiversity as well as carbon sequestration.
But it’s not just for plants and animals of course. People can enjoy sitting on the bench on the high bank to enjoy the view and the peace and quiet.
The Church
St Peter’s Church was designed by E. Swinton Harris and built in 1882 for the cost of just over £1,000 (plus a few shillings). Local pine was used (keeping the carbon miles low even if they had no concept of the idea back then – it would just have made sense to work with the materials at hand).
At the time the waste land on which the church was built belonged to the Manor of Boulsdon. The church was consecrated in 1882 on 28th October.
In the gallery at the top of the page you will see a photo of the west window. This was installed in memory of a Falconer, Phillip Glasier.
There is also a millenium tapestry on show near the altar. This was sewn by local inhabitants and “depicts events since the birth of Christ”.
Church Weddings, Baptisms and Funerals
To arrange a service for a wedding, baptism or funeral, please contact:
The Reverend Canon Simon Mason on 01531 821 641
Amenities
For detailed information about the amenities within the church (as well as the wildflowers you might see), visit the St Peter’s page on CaringForGodsAcre.org.uk
How you can support St Peter’s Church (and grounds)
Churches are the heart of small english villages and hamlets like ours. They provide continuity to our lives for baptisms, weddings, funerals and Christian worship.
Outside of these events, the building offers a place of quiet retreat for reflection – a moment of respite from our busy lives.
Maintaining the church and grounds is a challenge for small congregations. So St Peter’s looks to the larger community that might not necessarily be regular churchgoers, but would still like to raise funds for the care of the building and surrounding land.
Become a Friend of St Peter’s Church, Clifford’s Mesne
For a monthly donation, membership of the Friends will give you:
To find out more about joining, or helping with the church, please contact Nell via nellcredland@gmail.com
Acknowledgement: Much of the information above came from The Friends of St Peter’s leaflet.
