Clergy

Incumbent:   The Reverend Leslie Harman            

                      The Vicarage,

                      20 Palace Gardens

                      Royston SG8 5AD

                      Tel: 01763 243130 

                      E-mail: Leslie Harman

                      Day off: Thursday 

                      Wife: Jeni  

Curate:         (Part-time)

                      The Reverend Tim Weeks

                      6 Chantry Road

                      Bishops Stortford

                      CM23 2SF

                      Tel: 01279 831 404

                      E-mail: Tim Weeks

                      Day off: Friday

                      Husband: John 

NSM:           The Reverend John Fidler

                      8 Stamford Avenue,

                      Royston SG8 7DD

                      Tel: 01763 241886

                      E-mail:

                      Day off: Saturday 

                      Wife: Margaret    

Times of church services

8 am                    Holy communion 

10 am                  Parish Eucharist (1st, 3rd & 5th Sundays)

                           (latter with a mission  speaker)

                           Family Eucharist (2nd & 4th Sundays)

11.45 am             Holy communion (BCP) (1^st Sunday of each month) 

12 noon               Baptisms (2nd Sunday) 

6.30 pm               Evening service

Church History

Originally a priory of Augustinian canons founded around 1162, the earliest parts of the present building date from the 13^th century.  Much of the church existing by the time of Henry VIII was destroyed after the dissolution of the monasteries, but fragments of the medieval nave survive as the south wall of the churchyard.  The structure was bought by the town in 1540 for £800 to become the parish church with the present dedication (previously it had also been dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury).

A poor parish, by 1600 the church was ruinous.  Improvement was slow until Victorian restorations, which culminated in the construction of the present chancel in 1891.

During the 20^th century the kitchen was added (as a vestry) in 1928, the nave roof was repaired in 1951 following the discovery of death watch beetle, a new organ, vestry and parish office were installed in 1978, reordering of the chancel occurred in the 1980s and the glazed entrance was installed in 1991.  Interesting details include two lozenges of medieval glass in a north aisle window, gilded angels and bosses in the roof, several brasses and a medieval alabaster effigy of a knight in armour.  There is a peal of eight bells.  Externally the flint casing of the tower replaced lath and plaster in the 1870s.  Until the mid 20^th century most of the present churchyard was the site of cottages.  Where the prior's domestic buildings stood now forms the Priory Gardens, commemorating the Royston Second World War dead.

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