WELCOME TO OUR PARISHES
St Mary's, Sturminster Marshall
St Mary's church dates back to the 13th-century. Sturminster means 'large church on the river Stour'.
The word 'Marshall' was added when the village was gifted to William Marshall, Prince Regent of England and a principal signatory of the Magna Carta, an important document which declared that nobody is above the law, not even the King.
Please do come and visit our beautiful church, it is open every day. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons between Easter and the end of September you can sample some Dorset cream teas and other goodies in the Old School across the road (thereby helping local charities). And of course you will find a warm welcome in the Red Lion pub, opposite the church, all year round!
The End of the Bridge Benefice
And that's the end of the Bridge Benefice. After 35 years of friendship and fruitful collaboration our three churches have been made to go their separate ways, due to the Milton and Blandford Deanery's plans for reorganisation. St Mary's, Sturminster Marshall is now part of the Benefice of Red Post; St Stephen's, Kingston Lacy and St Bartholomew's, Shapwick have joined the Wimborne Villages Benefice over the border in the Deanery of Wimborne.
Sadly, as a result, the Bridge Benefice Choir is no more. But the music won't stop - we have a cunning plan! Visit our Music page to find out more.
This website will now highlight what's going on in our three separate churches, so do continue to visit.
The photo at the top of the page shows White Mill Bridge, where the three parish boundaries meet. There has been a mill here on the River Stour for centuries. Now in the care of the National Trust, it is well worth a visit.
Coronavirus update
Our churches are now open for services,
following all Covid precautions.
We are active in the community and we are still praying.
If we can support you in any way, please do contact us:
Tel: 01929 459244
Rev Justin Pottinger
Services in our Parishes
1st Sunday
9.15am
Parish Communion
AT ST MARY'S
2nd Sunday
9.15am
Parish Communion
AT ST STEPHEN'S
3rd Sunday
9.15am
Parish Communion
AT ST BARTHOLOMEW'S
4th Sunday
9.15am
Parish Communion
AT ST MARY'S
5th Sunday
AS ANNOUNCED
IN EACH PARISH
Safeguarding
At St Mary's we take our responsibilities concerning the safeguarding of children, young people, and vulnerable adults very seriously, and we try to ensure that we always work in accordance with best practice. Our Safeguarding Policy can be downloaded here.
For any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our Safeguarding Officer,