More information about Edington Priory Church.
The Priory Church of Saint Mary, Saint Katharine and All Saints is a grade 1 listed, architecturally-outstanding building, built in the Decorated style and consecrated in 1361. It is a large building for such a small village, but it is very well-maintained and is increasingly sought after as a concert venue.
Edington Priory Church is famous for hosting the Edington Festival of Music Within the Liturgy (often known as the ‘Edington Festival’): a week-long celebration of all that is best in church music. Participants come from many different Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals and Oxbridge colleges, and visitors travel to the Festival from all over the world. The midweek Evensong is always broadcast around the world by BBC Radio 3.
The Book “Edington: The Bishop’s Legacy” by Graham Laslett, CBE, describes the church and its history in detail.
The Priory Church has a Tower containing 10 bells, and is the Bellringer’s Training Centre for the area.
Worship at the Priory Church is very varied: from traditional Book of Common Prayer services such as Evensong through Common Worship to Informal services for families. There is an excellent choir.
In the first week of January 2014, the old Henry Jones organ was removed and took up its new home in Tallinn, Estonia, at the Gustav Adolf Gymnasium (a grammar school with a strong musical tradition). The funding target (£437,000) for the superb, custom-built Harrison & Harrison organ was achieved at the 2013 Edington Festival, paid for entirely by Festival goers and grants, and was installed and working in Easter 2014. The organ was inaugurated at the 2014 Edington Festival. It is a much-appreciated addition to the Festival, to Priory Church services and for local concerts, as well as to regular broadcasts from the Priory Church by the BBC for much wider audiences to enjoy.
Further details of the Edington Festival can be found here.
Wiltshire Council's Community History page.
The Church Monuments Society has a page about the Tayler Family Monument in the church.
The Friends of Edington Priory Church have an excellent web-site with more information about the history of the church and lots of photographs.
Church Guides
Video Documentaries
Church & Local History
Reports to The Friends
Extracts from Publications
Wheelchair access to the nave of the church is available through the West Door.
There are steps up from the nave to the altar and further steps up from the altar to the chancel.