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St Nicholas Church, Winsley.

Winsley, BA15 2LH                                                                          

The church of St Nicholas is a warm welcoming and friendly church, run by vitality and hospitality. St Nicholas' congregation values its church and takes pride in its care. Open to the public (opening hours are on the home page) the church works closely alongside Winsley village school, the children use the church for teaching and many services. The church provides disabled access and a hearing induction loop. Car parking and toilets are available in the church hall opposite.

The services vary in form and details are published in the weekly notices on the church notice board and the parish website as well as on this website. Regular “social” events are organised which are usually associated with religious festivals, charitable causes or just “getting together”. The Church is regularly used for musical performances and concerts.

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Sunbeams  - A very popular and established Toddler and Parent Group.  FB page - search @winsleysunbeams and under Children and Families on our website.

Acorns  Pre-School- In Winsley School grounds. 

House Groups - Weekly and twice-monthly prayer and fellowship groups.

St Nicholas Church is available for Weddings, Baptisms and Funerals. Please visit this page for further details.

History

The Building - It is recorded that in 1155, a survey showed two monks living in Winsley, although they may have been farm labourers, an even earlier survey of 1135 did not mention the monks. According to the records of Shaftesbury Abbey, a monk lived in or nearby in 1170. The vicarage in Bradford on Avon has a record dated 1349 mentioning a chapel in Winsley. At the time of the dissolution of the monasteries, the chapel was granted to the Dean and Chapter of Bristol in 1542. Winsley had a Curate in 1628 and he enjoyed small tithes. As the population of Winsley grew, so did the Church membership and in 1841 a new Church was built, still keeping the 16th-century tower which now joins the Church by a little arch. The new Church was one of a number rebuilt by the order of Rev. Harvey of Bradford on Avon. This action created employment at the time the weaving and quarrying went into decline and served to replace the original building which had fallen into disrepair. One of the basement stones on the tower is referred to have been dated 1161 but this information is dismissed and more correctly stated 1761 or 1765. The Tower houses 3 bells which were installed in 1951 and today are used for “swing chiming”. The Church clock dates from the late 18th century (although some information suggests it might be 100 years earlier) and was converted to an electric movement in 2004 following a generous donation in memory of Capt. Edward Harrison Johnson R.N. A stool was made from the original Church Doors and was in the possession of the late Mrs Baker whose husband was Vicar of Winsley (1922 – 1961).