About Us

St Mary's is a small village church with a history going back to the 13th C, though the church was rebuilt in the 1850s

Hawridge, near Chesham and Berkhamsted, is in the Chilterns and popular for walking, riding and cycling. We are one village of a number of small villages all close together which refer to themselves as the Hilltop Villages.

The Coronavirus restrictions forced the closure of the St Mary's Church itself in March 2020, although visitors were, and remain, welcome in the churchyard.

In April 2021, and after a long period of illness of the previous Rector and then an extended interregnum, our new Rector, Rev Chris Haywood, was installed into office.  At the time of writing (June 2021) and in the light of the gradual relaxation of the restrictions imposed due to Coronavirus, services at St Mary's are cautiously restarting and we hope to establish over the coming weeks a regular pattern of Sunday services both at St Mary's and shared services rotating with our neighbours at Cholesbury and St Leonards.

The Church in Hawridge and its congregation are definitely part of the wider village community and, in normal years, the August bank holiday fete for Hawridge and Cholesbury Churches is a major village event.

Having successfully found and installed a new minister for the benefice, and with the restrictions on gatherings etc being gradual eased, we eagerly look forward to the time when it is safe freely to welcome our congregation and any visitors back into St Mary's Church and resume a regular pattern of services.

Please note the following message about safeguarding -

"The parish of Hawridge is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs. The Diocese of Oxford’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services."