Kirdford
About our ParishWHICH PARISH?
The Parish name in the heading above is the official name supplied directly by the Church Commissioners to the 'A Church Near You' organisers. However, this page does not refer to the civil (local government) Parish of Kirdford, but describes the ecclesiastical (Church of England) Parish usually known as "St John the Baptist, Kirdford with Holy Trinity, Plaistow", whose area covers not only the civil Parish of Kirdford but also the civil Parish of Plaistow & Ifold.
PARISH DESCRIPTION
Our Church of England Parish is part of the Petworth Deanery in the Diocese of Chichester* and is situated in a rural location in the Weald of West Sussex (see map below). Geographically it is one of the largest ecclesiastical parishes in England, with an area of approximately 25 square miles. As mentioned above, it covers the two civil parishes of Kirdford, and Plaistow & Ifold, and it is in these three villages that most of the Parish's population of about 3500 live, though there are also a number of smaller settlements within the Parish boundaries, for example Shillinglee, Durfold Wood & Strood Green. As measured at the 2001 Census, the population's age distribution is similar to the rest of the population of the UK. The nearest small towns and town-sized villages are Billingshurst, Petworth, Pulborough, Haselmere and Cranleigh.
Because of the large area of the Parish, we have two churches, situated in Kirdford and Plaistow. The original medieval church at Kirdford, built in about 1100, was supplemented in the 18th century by a 'Chapel of Ease' at Plaistow to make it easier for people from the northern reaches of the Parish to attend church services, and the current Victorian church at Plaistow is built on the site of that original Chapel of Ease.
Despite having two churches and a large geographical area, the Parish is a unified whole, with worship being shared between the two churches, and with other Church activities being attended by people from throughout the Parish. This sense of unity is reinforced by strong links between our two civil parishes; for example the local primary school in Plaistow takes children from all three villages.
Though we are part of the Church of England*, we have a number of links with other Christian organisations in the area. We work together with the local Chapel (Trinity Evangelical Church, a free church based in Kirdford) in areas of common interest. In addition we are a member of Petworth Area Churches Together (PACT), an ecumenical organisation that fosters links between all the major Church denominations in the area and promotes joint activities and worship.
Many of our congregation are also very involved with other village organisations and activities, including a lively 'Friends of the Churches' organisation that raises up to £10,000 per year to support the repair and preservation of the fabric of both church buildings, by means of a number of enjoyable annual fundraising events.
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*There are links to the websites of the Diocese of Chichester and the Church of England at the bottom of our main web page
Population: 3500
Parish Magazine
Our Parish Magazine is The Parish News
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For Genealogical Enquiries the local Diocesan Record Office is:
The Diocese of Chichester does not hold parish records. Records maintained by parishes are held within the parish until they are transferred to the relevant County Records Office. For the Parish of Kirdford with Plaistow this is the West Sussex Record Office, located in Orchard Street,Chichester, near County Hall, the home of West Sussex County Council. Contact details are as follows:
County Archivist
West Sussex Record Office
County Hall
Chichester
West Sussex PO19 1RN
Website: www.westsussex.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/libraries-and-archives/record-office/
Tel: 01243 753600
Fax: 01243 533959
email: records.office@westsussex.gov.uk
For Parish enquiries please contact:
See the main webpage for each church
Churches in our Parish or Benefice