About Us

Welcome to St. Katharine’s, Little Bardfield, a jewel of a church in an outstanding rural setting. Prayer and worship were offered here before the Norman Conquest and continue to this day. The Reverend Dr. Robert Beaken is parish priest of St. Katharine's, Little Bardfield and of our sister church, St. Mary's, Great Bardfield.
You are warmly invited to join our services. The Holy Eucharist is celebrated at St. Katharine’s on Sundays at 8.45 am, except on the last Sunday of the month when the Holy Eucharist (1662 BCP) is celebrated at 6.00 pm. On the second Sunday of the month there is, in addition, Evensong (1662 BCP) and Sermon at 3.30 pm. Services are accompanied by the newly-restored 1688 Renatus Harris organ, the most significant historic organ in Essex.
The interior of our church was beautifully restored by Howell and Bellion between 2004 and 2006, substantially to the design and colours of its G. F. Bodley restoration in 1866. It is bright, warm and inviting. Notable features are the altar, tabernacle and reredos, the cross and rood-beam across the fourteenth century chancel arch, the restored war memorial and, dating from 1664, the arms of the Wale family, newly resplendent in red, black and gold. Statues of St. Katharine of Alexandria and the Blessed Virgin Mary have been installed and dedicated in recent years - the latter is a copy of the medieval statue of Our Lady of Grace, originally from Ipswich, which resides in Nettuno, Italy.