HAUXTON
St Edmund's Church
Church Road
Hauxton
CB22 5HS
Welcome
For over 1000 years, Hauxton residents have used St Edmund’s Church as a place of peace in times of stress; a place of comfort in times of despair; and a place of celebration in times of joy. The ancient walls buzz with the hopes, emotions and experiences of those who have stood within them. This tradition continues and everyone (regardless of faith or lack thereof) is welcome to come and use the building for reflection and a moment of peace. The church is open from approximately 9am to 4pm every day.
St Edmund’s is a Church of England church. We host the Sunday morning service two Sundays per month (service dates can be found here). On most other Sundays, the main service is held in Harston. Everyone is welcome to join these services; FAQs for people who are new to church services can be found here.
During services, we focus on gratitude; we reflect on what we are sorry for and how we can do better; and we think about the needs of ourselves, our community and the world. We do this in the context and with the language of the Christian faith – believing that the universe was created by a loving, divine being whose nature is beyond our comprehension, but who chose to be intimately involved in humanity by himself becoming human in Jesus Christ.
We use a traditional service structure and language which means that we join with other congregations throughout the world and across time, reminding us that, as things change, much stays the same. We know that people have used St Edmund's to pray about illness, death, love, work, and so on, for centuries – including during wars and pandemics – there can be great comfort in this invisible fellowship.
People who enjoy a service with lots of time for quiet contemplation may enjoy the beautiful compline service that happens in Newton on Tuesday evenings.
Visit our What's On page for a full list of services events in our three churches.
WHO'S WHO
ACCESSIBILITY
Children
Children of any age are most welcome. Due to the growing number of children in the congregation, we are currently working on a children’s area for families to use during services. There are also activities for children across the three churches – Pop Up PlayTots and Treasure Hunters; do contact Susan if you would like to join these. More information can be found on the Families and Children page.
Wheelchairs and pushchairs
There are steps into the church but we have a ramp to use for wheelchairs and pushchairs. If you wish to visit outside of the time of a service, do get in touch and we will do our best to facilitate your entrance.
Toilets
Sadly, we currently do not have toilets on site. This is something we would love to have one day!
Gluten free wafers
If you would like to join our service and need a gluten-free option, please contact us in advance and we will do our best to accommodate this.
FRIENDS OF ST EDMUND'S
The Friends of St Edmund's is a '100 Club' lottery with over 50 members, set up in August 2008 to raise money for maintaining and improving the fabric of the Grade 1 listed church and churchyard. Membership is open to anyone at £1 per week and a draw is made each month. The first prize pays £30, second prize £15 and third prize £10, which equates to approximately 20% of the takings.
There is a sociable annual general meeting at which decisions are made about how the funds are spent. Works that the Friends have funded include the restoration of the flint wall, which greatly enhanced the appearance of the church, vital work on the vestry roof and repairs to the east wall.
The club always welcomes new members; if you would like to join please contact Carol Todd at 01223 873046 or hot.toddy12@btinternet.com.
The lottery is registered with South Cambs District Council as a non-commercial Small Society Lottery established and conducted for charitable purposes.
MUSIC
We have a group of talented musicians who play our historic organ for services, sometimes accompanied by other instruments. Hauxton parishioners are part of the choir based at Harston which occasionally sings in Hauxton. We sing a wide range of SATB church repertoire and are always keen to welcome new members. Contact Rebecca Fitzgerald (rcf29@cam.ac.uk) if you would like to know more about this.
HISTORY
Worship on this site began in the 10th century, or earlier, initially in a wooden building. Construction of the stone church began in the 12th century following its endowment to the Ely monastery. One of the oldest in the county, the church is relatively humble having retained much original, Norman architecture but it has a rich history and many interesting features.
‘An exemplary example of a Romanesque parish church with an aisleless nave and chancel. The east wall of the chancel is now straight set with two twelfth-century windows, but excavation has proved there was formerly an apse. The massive chancel arch is a striking feature: it has two roll-mouldings and is supported on two big semi-circular shafts with plain block or cushion capitals. There is evidence of a twelfth-century window in the south wall. In the nave there is a plain north doorway and a more distinguished south door with one border of colonnettes, roll moulding and chip-carved lintel.’
Read Brenda Purkiss's guide to the history and architecture of St Edmund's (PDF).
