WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

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St. Juthware and St Mary’s Church Halstock, in Dorset, is a Church of England Church providing a place of worship and prayer.

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Moreover, the Church which dates from the 15th Century and mid-19th Century, is Grade II listed for the following principal reasons:

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* Architectural interest: It is a harmonious, now largely mid-Century19th design, that is faithful to medieval precedents and represents a thorough understanding of Decorated Gothic.

* Interior: Despite some loss of Church furnishings, it is an attractive and spaciously-arranged interior which retains 19th Century fittings such as the font, seating and floor tiles.

* Fittings: The Encaustic tiles in the sanctuary, if they do date from 1846-7, are quite early examples of the tile-making revival that occurred in the 19th Century.

* Group value: There are several 15h and 18th Century listed chest tombs in the churchyard.

 

The Church is constructed of local Forest Marble stone rubble with Hamstone dressings, under stone-slate roofs with stone copings to the gables.

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HISTORY​

In Old English, Halstock means ‘holy outlying farmstead’, so-called because it belonged to Sherborne monastery by grant of King Aethelwulf. The oldest part of St Mary's Church is 15th Century, although it is probable that there may have been an earlier church on the site. Except for the tower, most of the Church was rebuilt in 1770 following a fire. In 1845-6 Yeovil architect Thomas Stent rebuilt the nave and probably the chancel to AWN Pugin’s designs. A series of drawings for the church, dated 1847 and signed by Pugin, are held at the county record office.

In 1959 a chapel was created in the north aisle dedicated to the Saxon saint St Juthwara of the 5th or 6th Century. Her remains are said to have been buried in the original Church as a focus for pilgrimage but were later re-interred in Sherborne Abbey. 

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Tracing its rich history back to the 7th Century this Grade II listed Church has weathered many storms – but not the one on November 15th 2025!  It is now in urgent need of restoration and repair. The Raise the Roof Campaign will see the repair and restoration, reinstating its position as the historic centre of the rural community of Halstock.

The Saint Juthware story centres upon her faith in Jesus and his command to care for others, as seen in her good works. Building on this, we need to ensure that the Church building is preserved for generations to come and that it is fit for purpose. Money raised by the Church will ensure we deliver those facilities.  By building a sustainable Church there will be longer term benefits to our community, so that we thrive with a creative spirit, in friendship and tolerance.

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WHAT WE WANT TO DO​

Now – Repair and restore the building (especially the roof), install a toilet and small kitchenette.  Make the building warm and welcoming.  Then we will: -

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1. Use the building more effectively.

2. Improve accessibility and be compliant with basic regulations by the provision of simple toilet and kitchenette facilities. 

3. Broaden the range of activities taking place.

4. Improve the quality of life for our community by providing support in a tangible way.
    

Longer Term – Make the building a hub of regular activity that provides support and comfort to those in emotional need and make the Church a truly beautiful, peaceful place to visit.

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We already provide basic refreshments at every service and a more ample selection for special services and events.  This has been a very welcome and well used facility by our congregation.  However, many want to stay longer to socialise and this is hampered by the lack of facilities.

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In 2025 we piloted several extra worship meetings to test community engagement.  They have proved successful and popular and we wish to repeat and add to our events calendar for 2026 and beyond, to further God’s mission locally.  We regularly canvass the Parishioners for their views and we act on those suggestions.  The provision of a more accessible children’s area, has proved worthwhile.

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We feel our historic building has a radically different use to/ from those facilities already provided (village hall and community room).  We want to be able to use the building in a more permanent way, so that the community is aware of the rich heritage of the site, hitherto unpublicised.  Halstock is a regular route for walkers, cyclists and tourists being on the Medieval Harrow (or Old) Way and has been a place of worship, pilgrimage and welcome for over 900 years.

As our Church is already open 365 days a year, we gather information from our visitor’s book and prayer diary. As a result, we would actively seek to partner with organisations and other charities to provide rural out-reach support for vulnerable people in our community.  Having a warm welcoming environment where people feel safe, is a vital part of any recovery journey, be that from bereavement or loss or struggling with life.  We would aim to provide a hub for information and signposting which is open daily.  Making use of this unique environment for just a “cuppa” in a peaceful and private space, is part of living meaningfully in a rural area.

 

BUDGET​

We already have £40,000 in donations and pledged fund.  However, after Storm Claudia in November 2025 we suffered severe damage to our south slope roof and the estimated repairs will take all that we have and more, to reinstate.  We also have Quinquennial repairs to carry out which are now urgent.  We know from experience in other areas of the diocese that large contingency must be allowed for. So, we estimate both pieces of work to cost in the region of £180,000.

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Contingency justification

A contingency allowance of 30–35% has been included to reflect the known risks associated with roof works to a Grade II listed Ham stone building over a two-year programme. This level of contingency is considered prudent and proportionate for a heritage project of this nature and is consistent with current best practice in conservation-led construction.

Ham stone is a soft and friable material that is particularly vulnerable to accelerated decay once exposed during roofing and scaffolding works. Experience shows that defects are frequently concealed until roof coverings are removed, at which point additional stone repairs, lime mortar work, and associated conservation measures often become necessary. These interventions cannot be fully quantified in advance without intrusive opening-up, which itself is typically restricted on listed buildings.

The Grade II listing status further increases risk, as works must comply with conservation requirements, including the use of traditional materials and techniques, potential design amendments following inspection, and extended approval processes for variations. These factors can lead to additional labour time and specialist input beyond initial estimates.

The two-year duration of the project introduces further exposure to construction cost inflation, particularly for specialist labour, leadwork, scaffold hire, and heritage materials. Extended scaffold hire and access adaptations are also a recognised risk on long-duration heritage projects and are difficult to predict accurately at tender stage.

The contingency has therefore been included to:

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• Protect the integrity and significance of the historic fabric

• Avoid compromising conservation outcomes due to unforeseen conditions

• Reduce the risk of project interruption or unplanned additional funding requests
   

Risk management

Project risks will be managed through a structured and proactive risk management process appropriate to a listed heritage asset. A detailed risk register will be maintained and reviewed at regular project meetings, identifying known and emerging risks relating to historic fabric, conservation requirements, access, programme, and cost. Early opening-up inspections will be undertaken where permissions allow, with findings used to refine scope, reduce uncertainty, and, where appropriate, release elements of contingency.

Costs arising from unforeseen works will be controlled through pre-agreed schedules of rates for conservation repairs, scaffold adaptations, and specialist trades, ensuring transparency and value for money. All variations will be assessed for necessity, conservation benefit, and cost impact before approval. The contingency will be actively managed and only drawn upon where risks materialise, with any unspent balance returned or reallocated in accordance with funder requirements.

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Further expenditure for the toilet, kitchenette and improved heating is estimated at a conservative £100,000.

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FUNDRAISING​

We have a lively and committed Parochial Church Council, Fundraising and Building Project committees, who have a strong sense of the church’s role and its place in our rural community.  We have ably demonstrated community involvement by piloting several extra and special services which have been well attended.  Each year our band of volunteers, many of whom do not come to church, are warmly thanked with a social evening.  Around 65 people are actively involved in the care and maintenance of our Church and most attend these evenings.  Because these are social, we can build on that support to maintain the Church as a pivotal part of the community well into the future.

The fundraising committee are already organising: -

• An open garden (a committee member belongs to the National Garden Scheme) with refreshments.  This event will be the curtain raiser for our “Raise the Roof” fundraising.

• We are extremely lucky to have our very own Saint, St Juthware who was martyred in the circa 7th Century and her remains lie in Sherborne Abbey.  Her Feast Day is celebrated in July.  Every year we celebrate this with a festival with events and a special service in Church.  This year, building on successful endeavours in previous years, a spectacular 3-day Festival is planned.  These are all ticketed events sold through our website www.halstock-church.org.

• We are participating in Ride and Stride this year garnering the support of the local Pony Club.

• We always have a sell-out Harvest Supper in the village hall in October.
   

Other gatherings where collections and donations are taken are:

Pancakes - Shrove Tuesday

Mothering Sunday gathering

Easter bonnet parade and egg hunt Easter weekend

Pumpkin carving

Hallowmas

Remembrance in the Churchyard 11th November

Christingle

Carols

Special Epiphany service

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SUMMARY

As you can see, we are committed to providing a Church fit for purpose and have an ambitious vision and mission for the future.  Without these repairs and reordering none of it will be possible.