Social pressures are mainly those experienced by busy commuters, and the difficulties created by very high house prices, especially for young people and key workers on modest incomes.
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MAP OF THE PARISH
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THE CHURCH BUILDING, HALL, VICARAGE, CHURCHYARD, LYCHGATE & COTTAGES AND TOUCHEN END CHURCHYARD
History
Little remains today of the original Saxon building apart from a carving built into the wall of the Chantry Chapel (St. Michael’s Hall) and the remains of a rare ‘Sheela-Na-Gig’ (a pre-Christian fertility symbol) near the west door of the church.
However, from the present building started in 1293 and the tower added in the early 15 th century, to the major alterations of the 19 th century and the 20 th century altar and lecterns, the history of St Michael’s can still be read.
Historically the parish covered several manors whose lords were great patrons. Some of these patrons are commemorated by monuments and memorials in the church. The Victorian stained glass windows are said to be among the best in any Berkshire church. These, and the historical content, contributed to St Michael’s being listed as grade 2* in 1955.
Originally the monks of Cirencester Abbey were patrons of the benefice. More recently the right of patronage has lain with the Bishop of Oxford, but is exercised by the Bishop of Reading acting in the name of the diocesan bishop.
The Church Building Today
With inside dimensions measuring 44m x 16m the church is a large building.
The most prominent feature is the 80 foot bell tower that stands over the main entrance and porch to the south side of the church. As with the rest of the building, the construction material is clunch (hard chalk) with flint facing; which contrasts well with the Bath stone used in the nineteenth century alterations.
 On opening the large west doors there is a view along the centre aisle, through the chancel arch and on to the sanctuary and high altar. Above the altar stands the beautiful east window, designed by G.E.Street and used in designs for the Easter stamps of Anguilla and Montserrat.
Plans have been submitted for full depth glass doors to be added, which will enable people using the footpath to enjoy this splendid view of the interior.
Seating is in pews, with capacity for about 350 in the main body of the church. A further 20 can be accommodated in each of the side chapels, St. Nicholas to the north of the choir and the All Saints to the south. During festivals further seating is obtained by placing chairs in the north and south aisles without restricting access. Wheelchair access is good; the chairs being positioned in the north and south aisles, against the pew ends.
 The choir stalls, immediately to east of the chancel arch, can accommodate 30 choristers.
The organ manuals are on the north side of the choir and elevated on a platform that allows the organist a full view of the choir and choirmaster.
The pipes are located near to the north-west corner of the church over the choir vestry.
The organ is adequate but does need refurbishment.
Lighting is from high-level sodium lamps in the nave and the side aisles; with white incandescent over the choir, sanctuary and side chapels: External lighting consists of proximity switched emergency lights and three floodlights, two lighting the bell tower and one on the roof of the tower illuminating the flag pole and turret. Funding for this floodlighting was provided by the Millennium Commission.
The sound system consists of lectern microphones with an induction loop for the hard of hearing and a complete overhaul of the sound system is underway.
Heating is by a gas boiler supplying a number of large sectional radiators around the church.
Toilets are located beside St Michael’s hall on the north side of the church. These are fully serviceable and regularly cleaned. It should be noted, however, that access for the disabled is inadequate in the Ladies.
This year, 2007, is St Michael’s quinquennial inspection year. The wardens have a good relationship with the visiting architect and it is intended to establish a system of rolling maintenance to a prioritised plan.
St Michael’s Hall
 On the north boundary of the churchyard lies the Chantry Chapel of our Lady, which now serves as the church hall. Built at the same date and of the same materials as the church, it is divided into two sections.
The western end contains a hall of approximately 10m x 8m and the remainder comprises a kitchen, a meeting room and two first floor rooms, which function as the parish office.
The hall was completely refurbished in the 1990’s and remains in good order.
The Vicarage
Access is from the north-east corner of the churchyard and leads via a gravel drive to a large five bedroom house with separate single garage. This was built in 1957 and extended in 1958-9. It remains in sound order and provides generous accommodation. The detached house sits in grounds of about two-thirds of an acre with over 180 feet of Thames river frontage
The Churchyard
The churchyard is closed and maintained by the Parish Council. However the wardens accept responsibility for the upkeep and safety of the memorials where relatives of the deceased are no longer contactable. The interment of ashes in the churchyard in an area set aside for this purpose by faculty is in current practice.
The Lychgate and Cottages
 To the southeast of the churchyard lie the Lych Gate and Lych Gate cottages which bear the date 1448. These attractive old cottages are a popular tourist attraction and bring many visitors in to the church. They are managed by Bray Lich Gate Trust.
One cottage is leased to the church and presently occupied by the choirmaster. The availability of this cottage as accommodation for a church employee has been a great asset in recruiting high calibre people.
Touchen End Churchyard
The small hamlet of Touchen End, near Holyport, has an open churchyard which belonged to an old church now sold and converted into cottages. Maintenance of this churchyard remains the responsibility of the PCC and is carried out by volunteers and working parties. It is hoped that sufficient funds will be available to purchase some professional help with this work.
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PATTERN OF WORSHIP
Every Sunday
8 a.m. Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer)
10 a.m. Parish Communion (Common Worship – Order One, Traditional Language)
6:30 p.m. Evensong (Book of Common Prayer)
Wednesdays and Major Saints Days
10:30 a.m. Holy Communion (Common Worship – Order One, Traditional Language)
Holy Baptism
Holy Baptism is administered either during Parish Communion or at 11:30 a.m. on the first Sunday in each month, and when necessary subsequent Sundays.
The sacristan assists the incumbent at Parish Communion.
Evensong is conducted by the incumbent, except in holiday times.
Other Assistance
There are nine members of the congregation who assist during the Administration of Holy Communion, two of whom do so each Sunday at Parish Communion and one at the 8 am service.
There is also a rota of Readers at Parish Communion to read from the New Revised Standard Version (Anglicised edition) of the Bible. A large print copy of the Readings, with the standard introduction, is placed on the Lectern ready for the Readers. Readings on special days are read directly from the Bible. Rotas are prepared by the incumbent.
Lessons at Evensong are read by members of the congregation.
Service Statistics
Average attendance at Parish Communion is 100-120, and total Sunday attendance about 160. The age range is mixed, mainly from the older generation, but several young families are represented.
Services |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
Baptisms |
32 |
26 |
45 |
Confirmations |
10 |
3 |
2 |
Marriages |
22 |
17 |
19 |
Service of Prayer and Dedication |
2 |
2 |
|
Funerals |
54 |
55 |
52 |
Service of Thanksgiving following funerals |
2 |
2 |
4 |
Communicants |
7,017 |
6,997 |
6,948 |
The PCC has debated the question of children taking Holy Communion, and concluded that continuing the practice of preparing young people for Confirmation before they make their Communion is the way forward for this parish.
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PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS
These are some of the people who support the work of the parish. The list is not exhaustive. There are many others who contribute in a quiet way because of their love for St Michael's and of Jesus Christ.
PCC
The Parochial Church Council comprises 20 members and represents the full age range of the congregation. It meets bi-monthly in St Michael’s Hall and all meetings are preceded by a service of Holy Communion in church. There are two sub-committees, a standing committee of nine members, including the incumbent, the officers and two other members of the council, and a social committee of four members.
Parish Office
The parish office, situated in St Michael’s Hall, is staffed by the incumbent at specified times during the week to handle enquiries about weddings, baptisms and funerals. Opening times are published in St Michael’s News and on the website.
Long standing administrative support is provided by a member of the congregation.
Additional support may need to be considered. The parish has a copy-printer which is used to produce all its printed matter, from service sheets to the magazine.
Sunday School
Sunday school is held during the 10 am service in St Michael’s Church Hall and the children come into church before Holy Communion. Ages range from two and a half to fourteen. There are two recognised teachers, assisted by parents when appropriate. The ‘Living Stories’ books are used. These start from the readings of the Common Worship Lectionary. The teachers are flexible in approach and will vary the input to suit the children. This can take the form of displays or general Christian knowledge such as work on the twelve apostles.
Choir
Music plays an integral part in the worship at St Michael’s. The choir comprises 20-25 adults and a number of children. They lead and support the congregation at regular and special services and perform anthems and masses in their own right. They have been invited to sing choral evensong at Bath Abbey and Bristol Cathedral and have also participated in various professional performances of well-known choral works.Our choir master is an Assistant Conductor at Covent Garden and a former organ scholar at Worcester Cathedral. Our organist is a former organ scholar of Lincoln College Oxford.
Music at Bray
Music at Bray engages young professional musicians each second Sunday of the month through the year in concerts of about forty minutes. Admission is free and audiences have often exceeded 100. The local press attend regularly. Previous concerts have included Laurie Holloway, the pianist Matthew Schellhorn (recently reported as ‘one to watch’ in BBC Music Magazine), international tenor and former choirmaster Mark Wilde and Young Artists from The Royal Opera House, English National Opera and the National Opera Studio. Tea and cakes are served in the Hall after the concerts.
Bellringers
The bells are a 24 cwt. ring of eight by several founders, in date ranging from 1642 to 1948. They were rehung in a new frame, quarter-turned and retuned in 1985. There are sound control doors behind the louvres at the top level of the tower, which means that occasional peals can be rung without disturbance to neighbours. Tower maintenance is of a high standard and there are awards for ‘ Best Kept Tower’ and gold certificates for the Tower Maintenance Award run by the Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers.
There are currently sixteen names on the register. The ringers range in age from 15 to 80 and are led by an able and enthusiastic tower captain, who is willing to teach new recruits and progress members in their ringing. Ringing takes place for Parish Communion on Sunday mornings and Evensong if sufficient ringers are available, practice night on a Thursday, plus weddings and special occasions. The standard of ringing is generally good and quarter peals are attempted on a regular basis – usually on Sunday evenings before Evensong and occasionally at other times.
Social Committee
Gathering together members of the congregation and their friends socially is an effective form of outreach, bringing together churchgoers and non-churchgoers in a friendly atmosphere. In recent years coach trips have been organised to Canterbury Cathedral, Lambeth Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Epping Forest, Salisbury Cathedral and Bath to support the choir singing at Evensong in the Abbey. What began as a ‘one off’ day trip to Europe has become an annual three day event, eagerly awaited by members of the congregation and their friends, with visits to Paris, the D-Day beaches, Bayeux, Rouen, Bruges and the Great War cemeteries. The social committee also organise the traditional Harvest Lunch, mince pies and mulled wine after the Christmas carol service, Christmas dinners and other social events.
The Friend’s of St Michael’s was established as a small charity in 1998 with the objective of raising funds to provide additions or renovations to the fabric and equipment of St Michael’s Church and Church Hall. Funds are raised by annual subscriptions and social events through the year. New cushions, kneelers, hymn books, font and lectern have been purchased over the years. One of the more valuable memorials has been restored, and it is planned to install a decorated glass west door.
Magazine
The St Michael’s News is published monthly (except August), delivered to houses within the parish by a team of volunteers and made available in church. The magazine also appears on the St Michael’s website. It is edited and printed by two member of the congregation and collated by a small team of volunteers. There is no advertising and a small charge is made. Circulation is about 350-400 copies.
Website
The website is maintained by a member of the congregation and is an excellent tool to reach out to the local community and beyond. It gives a full range of information about the parish and during the last year there have been over 2,700 visits to the site. The direct contact link is regularly used to arrange weddings, baptisms and funerals and to enquire about times of services and visits to the church. There have been many enquiries from abroad, mainly from Australia and the United States generally relating to tracing ancestors that may have been interred in St Michael’s churchyard.
Flowers
A small team of flower arrangers decorate the church each week and, apart from Advent and Lent, for festivals. Members of the congregation regularly contribute to the cost of flowers in remembrance of a loved one.
The team recently held a weekend flower festival in church which proved to be very popular.
Refreshments
These are served in the hall by a team of volunteers after Parish Communion on Sundays. This has grown in popularity over the years and enables the congregation to meet socially on Sunday mornings.
Cleaners
Cleaning is undertaken on a weekly basis by a team of largely unsung members of the congregation. The cleaning rota is organised by a member of the team.
We wish to keep our church open for visiting and prayer, while recognising the danger of theft or damage. During the summer a team of ‘church watchers’ take turns to be in church during certain times of the day, thus enabling the church to be open for visitors. When nobody is present, the main doors are left open and callers are able to view the interior of the church through locked internal glass-paned doors.
Touchen End Trust
A small development of church, school and schoolhouse was constructed in the parish at Touchen End, near Holyport, in the mid 19 th century. These buildings were converted into cottages in the 1960’s when the Touchen End Trust was set up. This trust includes three cottages which can, at the discretion of the trustees, be let at preferential rents to teachers in Church of England schools in the Maidenhead and Windsor Deanery. This is intended to help schools recruit teachers in an area of very expensive housing.
The trustees are the vicar and churchwardens, who are responsible for letting, supervision and upkeep of the cottages.
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OUTREACH AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
Pastoral Visiting
The recently retired Incumbent has a deserved reputation for the thoroughness of his pastoral visiting: to the sick, the bereaved, those otherwise in need, and those about to be married. Quantifying this key element in the work of the parish, one we value very highly, is not easy, because every week is different. There is no formal system of lay assistance but church members take part. Lay participation needs development.
Christian Aid
The PCC takes responsibility for Christian Aid in the parish. Each May some thirty collectors cover as many homes as possible, typically raising around £3,000. Members of the PCC act as co-ordinators.
Service Cards
Before Christmas and Easter each year a card is delivered to every house in the parish, bringing Christian greetings to the residents, and providing details of forthcoming services. Street-by-street packs are left at the back of the church and are distributed by volunteers from the congregation.
Study Group
The vicar takes a weekly study group during Lent. In recent years the York course has been followed. It is felt that these study groups could be developed further.
Music Concerts
Free concerts offering a very high standard of music have proved an excellent way of introducing people to our church.
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Holyport Primary School
This is a Church of England Aided School and Nursery Class, situated in the village of Holyport, with 288 pupils.
The head teacher is Mrs Hester Wooller and the chair of governors is one of the churchwardens.
Braywood First School
This is a Church of England Controlled School, situated near Fifield, with 83 pupils. The school occupies a former church building for which it pays rent to the church. There is also a churchyard on the site, which is maintained by the PCC.
The head teacher is Mrs Susan Calvert and the chair of governors is the present incumbent.
The Vicar takes assemblies in these schools each week, and the schools come to St Michael’s with their families for special Christmas and Easter services.
Both schools have good Ofsted ratings.
These schools represent an excellent opportunity for the incumbent and laity of St Michael’s to reach younger families in the parish.
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The PCC considers its financial standing to be adequate. In 2006 the general income of the parish was some £65,000, of which £44,000, two thirds, was the result of direct giving and tax refunds through well-developed Gift Aid arrangements. This accounts for the parish share of £44,100, paid in full. Other income covers running expenses, and a small surplus has been donated to local charities.
The following principles underpin our finances:
- The parish is self-funding. We do not seek to raise funds from outside the congregation except for charity.
- The objective is to pay in full the amount we pledge to parish share.
- The PCC sets in advance its goal for year on year share increase, typically 5%, without waiting to be asked. Our share has risen from £31,000 in 2000 to £46,500 in 2007, which represents an increase of 50%. The current figure is close to the diocesan standard per electoral roll member. Our objective is to cover the cost of our incumbent and also generate an additional contribution to the whole church.
General reserves are around 50% of the annual giving figure. The parish also enjoys the benefit of a number of trust funds administered on our behalf by Oxford diocese. From the Ferrers Bequest and St Michael’s House (former curate’s house) Trust come modest incomes to general funds, whilst the Chancel Repair Fund and the Church and Hall Repair Fund do the same for fabric costs. The latter fund has been in recent years been established by a series of generous donations from a parishioner.
Finally, although not within the remit of the PCC, is the Pickford Trust, set up by legacy and controlled by the vicar and churchwardens. A number of helpful grants have been made from this trust for various purposes.
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St Michael’s Bray fills an important niche in the Maidenhead and Windsor Deanery with a traditional and friendly style of worship, which is much appreciated by the present congregation.
It is important that the new vicar should continue to build on this tradition while reaching out to draw in new members. This could involve new approaches for young people and further developing lay involvement in outreach projects.
It is also important that he or she provides a caring presence to all who need it in the parish whether churchgoers or not.
This profile has outlined the role of the incumbent and the support provided by members of thecongregation and various teams of helpers.
It has also described the attractive church, the vicarage, the generally good state of repair and the sound finances.
The parish description illustrates the attraction of Bray and its surroundings and the facilities available in the area.
More information on any aspect of this profile can be obtained from the churchwardens:
John Seymour Tel 01628 625355 email john@rushes7.fsnet.co.uk
Ian Murray Tel 01628 623041 email ianrmurray42@hotmail.com
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