St Stephen's Winsham

Winsham parish is in Somerset bordering Dorset. It is rural and predominantly agricultural, but many parishioners travel to Chard and further afield for employment. There is a sheltered housing development of 24 dwellings with a common room facility. The PVL of the parish is 580.The village population is around 750 of which a large number are retired. There is a village school, the building of which is leased from the Diocese. The village shop is owned and run by the community. There is also a pub (currently for sale) and a community club. We have a regular bus service to Chard, Taunton and Yeovil. A new housing development has recently been built which includes affordable homes for younger members of the village. We contribute to the production of the Joint Parish Magazine, which serves the villages of Winsham, Thorncombe and Cricket St Thomas, with a circulation of around 430 copies monthly. There is a Primary School and Pre-School, and volunteers regularly take part in Open The Book sessions.

The church is 13th century flint and ham stone with a peel of 8 bells, and chiming bells. The churchyard is “closed”, and maintenance is the responsibility of the Parish Council. The seating capacity is approximately 120. We do not have a church hall or toilet, but do have access to the village hall. We recently removed 5 pews to accommodate a social area at the rear of the nave.