Photo credit: hagger71
THE FRIENDS OF ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH BRIXWORTH
The Friends of Brixworth Church organisation was registered with the Charity Commission (No: 1168452) in 1987. However, it was formed in 1983 with the sole purpose to assist in caring for and preserving the ancient Parish Church at Brixworth by offering financial support through member subscriptions and fundraising.
In 2017 it became a Charities Incorporated Organisation and is managed by a Board of Trustees.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
A BRIEF HISTORY
Over the years The Friends have supported the Parochial Church Council with sizable donations to meet detailed requests for assistance. Many contributions to the Church and its Churchyard have helped with ongoing work of conservation, restoration and enhancement.
In the last five years contributions have been made to the following projects:
- Internal redecoration of the Church
- Restoration of the church organ
- Refurbishment of the clock-face
- Repairs to the external stonework of the church
- Maintenance of the mature trees in the churchyard
- Renovation and re-gilding of the cockerel weathervane on the spire
AN INVITATION TO SUPPORT US
The Trustees welcome new supporters to join us (please see ‘How to Join’ page). Your support will genuinely help us to maintain the heritage of the building that is the Parish Church of Brixworth, so it continues to stand as an example of Anglo-Saxon architecture and welcome visitors from near and far for generations to come.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP
LIFE MEMBERSHIP
FRIENDS’ DAY
Friends’ Day is held on the first weekend in June nearest to St. Boniface Day (5th June).
Promoting Brixworth Church and its heritage:
One of our main objectives as a charity is to promote the Parish Church of All Saints’ Brixworth. We actively do this in several ways including welcoming visitors to the church and sharing the unique history of the building. The Church is usually open to visitors during the daylight hours unless there is a church event on.
It is our aim to keep the Friends’ supporters and the public up to date with news of works, both present and future, on the fabric of the church and also on events and activities, raising awareness and funds for future projects; this is done via our website and through direct communication by email and Facebook pages.
We welcome individuals and various sized groups to the church and offer guided tours, both inside and outside the church, throughout the year. These cover the history of the church from its early beginnings, the developments through the centuries and the archaeological evidence discovered through excavations.
Within the church, there are a number of publications for sale which explore the history and archaeology of the church further and a useful illustrated guidebook, highlighting different aspects and artefacts. There is a facility to order these publications on this website (click here).
The Brixworth Lecture
Since 1983 an annual lecture has been held in the church on the nearest Saturday to All Saints’ Day (usually the first weekend in November). The lectures are arranged in conjunction with the Department of Medieval History at Leicester University and have become quite popular amongst students and academics of Medieval History. The lectures are based around medieval history, in particular the Anglo-Saxon period, and cover church architecture, practices, rituals, paintings, manuscripts etc.
These hugely enjoyable and informative talks help place All Saints’ Church in context with the wider historical world, both local and global. Over the years, we have had several distinguished speakers including Michael Wood, historian, author and broadcaster; Sara Cockerill, author and historian; and Leslie Brubaker, professor and expert in the Byzantine era. These successful lectures have been running for 38 years and appeal to both academics, students of history and the general public.
Details of the Brixworth Lecture for 2021 (COVID-19 restrictions permitting), will be posted on our website in due course.
