The Link Benefice

Bawdrip St Michael and All Angels

Welcome to Bawdrip and the village church- St Michael and All Angels.

Bawdrip is a village of 506 people [census 2011]; bordered by fields leading to the A39 on the north boundary and the King Sedgemoor Drain to the south.  Sustrans National Cycle Path 3 passes along this waterway and links with Cossington. The church is in the centre of the village, next to the village green.

The majority of houses in Bawdrip are clustered within the centre of the village. Kingsmoor primary school caters for 175 pupils and is located opposite the church. Bawdrip’s friendly village pub ls across the main road.

Whilst the population is mixed; the largest demographic is the 45 – 59 year range, with a high level of employment; 29% of households have children. A significant majority were born in the UK and 70% identify as Christian. [Census 2011]

Community life

Church members are actively engaged in the range of groups and activities within the village.

Weekly groups include the craft and table tennis groups and monthly, the community café, led by volunteers, with profits benefitting the village. It links with community services and local events. It is currently promoting a recycling initiative for charity.

The Church

The Church, dedicated to St. Michael and All Angels, is of 14th century origin. The outstanding feature of the church is its cruciform, aisle-less structure with a central tower, believed to be one of only seven of its type in the country. The tower houses a peal of four bells. The church has a very comfortable atmosphere and visitors regularly comment on how attractive a building it is. The last Quinquennial survey in 2019 reported that the church is in generally good condition. The seating capacity around 140. We recently removed the pews from the North Aisle to provide a more open air for a wide variety of activities. We are currently seeking funding to restore a section of our churchyard wall. We are launching a ‘Friends of St Michael’s and All Angels’ group.

Parish Hall

The parish hall in the village that was built during the inter-war period on land given to commemorate the Great War. It is of wooden and metal construction and has a kitchen area. The size of the hall (it is licensed for 75 people) means that it has an intimate feel to it and a group of just 30 can fill it. It has been refurbished recently.  We use it for our events and there are a number of external groups that are also using it on a regular basis. It is available for hire. A working group is currently engaged in planning and seeking funding for further refurbishments.

Our parish hall serves the community, being the only venue for a variety of lively social and other events throughout the year.