St. Mary’s Church, Walditch is in the village of Walditch which lies to the east of Bridport and south of Bradpole. The hill that divides it from Bothenhampton protects it from being absorbed into the “Bridport town” but the inexorable spread of new housing on green field sites, in lower Walditch, is now within a few hundred yards of the old village, however, there is still very much a feel of being a small rural village.
The church building has an ancient foundation dating from 1534, and was rebuilt in 1863. It is a lovely, peaceful church with a beautiful Churchyard which is part of a Living Churchyard Project. It has a capacity of 70 and the regular congregation is between 25 and 35. The church has several interesting memorials inside, one which relates to a local murder in Victorian times and two which mark the deployment of soldiers in the area during the Second World War. Each May the church holds a special service to remember the American GI’s based in the village just before D Day and, with the special permission of the American Embassy, the ‘Stars and Stripes’ is flown from the church’s flagpole. Among the regular services which are at 11.15 a.m., there’s a ‘Songs of Praise’ each month during the summer months on the first Sunday of the month (usually). The Church has many social activities. The ministry team is led by Revd. Ann Ayling, Mission Partner. Come to one of our Services of worship, join in with a home group or just drop in for a quiet prayer or visit. For up to date information see our online Calendar or refer to our monthly magazine The Bridge.