About Us

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

• Goudhurst is a charming village nestling on the edge of the Weald some 480 feet above sea level. There are splendid views from the church tower over the surrounding countryside which until recent years was filled with hop gardens as far as the eye can see. Today the characteristic oast houses have been converted into very desirable residences and the station which brought the hop pickers down from the east end of London is long since closed. Despite the closure of one or two shops the village continues to flourish as a magnet for visitors and is now a sanctuary for commuters to London.
• The splendid church of St Mary’s dominates the centre of the village, standing at the top of the High Street. Until 1840 when the new church at Kilndown was built, the parish was one of the largest in England stretching from Curtisden Green in the north almost to the heart of Flimwell in the south. 

STYLE OF WORSHIP

• Worship is based around the Eucharist, with a simpler form used for the monthly Family Services. The prayer book is used at the 8am service.

YOUTH AND CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

• St Mary’s hosts  a weekly Sunday Club for children during term time. 

DETAILS OF OTHER CHURCH ACTIVITIES

• St Mary’s has a Women’s Fellowship and a Choir and Bell-Ringers.  The church has an active Friend's association which raises money for the maintenance of the fabric of the church and promotes social life and links to well wishers within and beyond the two communities.

LINKS WITH SCHOOLS IN THE PARISH

• Goudhurst and Kilndown are very fortunate in having a fine church school, and a group representing the school and the two churches has worked hard to utilise the church buildings as a teaching resource and also to help the children to learn to worship in a way that is appropriate for them. It has been possible to enrich the life of the pupils by funding visits for every child to the cathedral at Canterbury, and also by using the link with the church in Sri Lanka to provide multicultural experiences.

OVERSEAS LINKS/PROJECTS

• The Sri Lanka link, though formally independent of the two churches, is rooted in the two parishes.  The Link continues to foster greater understanding and facilitate exchanges of people between two very different cultures.

AFFILIATIONS/LINKS TO OTHER ORGANISATIONS/CHURCHES

• Much of what is done together with the Roman Catholic community takes place at the church of the Sacred Heart. Highlights of the year include shared Lent activities culminating in an unusual simultaneous celebration of the Eucharist together on Easter Eve.  Processions are loved!  Goudhurst High Street is closed for both a Nativity procession at Christmas, and for the Good Friday procession, when worshippers follow the donkey in remembering Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem.

OPENING TIMES OF THE CHURCHES

• The church is open daily and St Mary’s tower is open on summer weekends for wonderful Wealden views.