The award scheme is supported by The Church of England and Southwell Diocese who are keen for as many churches as possible to receive Eco Church awards.

It requires completion of an online questionnaire on the actions the church has taken to reduce its impact on the environment, with bronze, silver or gold awards received once a you have achieved enough points.

St Mary’s in Car Colston started this journey in spring 2021 and were very please to achieve their bronze award in September 2021, then our Silver award in September 2024! The changes made were often small but powerful, such as switching to eco friendly products, facilitating nature within the churchyard, and sharing the importance of caring for God’s creation with the community.

St Wilfrid’s in Screveton was the second church in our group to receive the bronze Eco Church award in April 2023 quickly followed by St Peter's in East Bridgford in January 2024. St Peter's then achieved their Silver Award in October 2024.

We now have Eco Church Champions to help roll out the scheme to the remaining churches and continue  the drive towards silver awards.

St Wilfrid’s is a Grade I listed building which nestles among the trees and farmland on the edge of the village of Screveton.

The church boasts a number of highly regarded features including the font, piscina, a Charles II Royal Arms and two misericords together with a large alabaster chest tomb in the bell tower which contains the remains of Richard Whalley. The wildflower churchyard is a place of peace and tranquillity. The church is always open, should you wish to visit.

Services

A Lay Led Morning Prayer is on the first Sunday of the month at 10.00 am, woth refreshments afterwards, and a Communion Service takes place on the second Sunday at 11.00am. Additional Festival services during the year including Plough Sunday, Easter, Harvest and Christmas. We usually hold an Act of Remembrance on Remembrance Sunday at the Airmen's Memorial in the village. 

Please read notices on boards, posts on our website and on Facebook for changes to service times, such as our Harvest on the Farm service in October.

Accessibility 

St Wilfrid's has the following features available in Church:

• Two shallow steps
• Ramp and access path suitable for wheelchairs 

Eco Church

St Wilfrid's earned the Bronze Eco Church award in 2023. We are committed to making our church more sustainable for the future including a commitment to sustainable floral displays. You can see more information of Eco Church scheme here.

Church Bells

St Wilfrid’s has three bells hung in a wooden frame. The frame has been tree-ring dated and analysis indicates two felling dates of 1622 and 1624.

This agrees with the description of the rebuilding of the belfry in the churchwardens’ presentations between 1620 – 1625.

The treble was given by Richard Hall. It is dated 1639 and inscribed EXDONI RICARDVS HALL, followed by the mark of George Oldfield , with cross, crescent and star.

The second was probably cast by Robert Mellours between 1472 and 1508.

The third bell is blank and appears to be of 18th century date.

They are not currently rung.

St Mary’s is a Grade I listed building dating from 1190 and is prominently sited in the middle of the village and on a crossroad of footpaths.

The church is blessed with an attractive 14th century chancel which includes an ornate sedilia. Unusually the chancel rises higher than the nave. Car Colston is situated in the midst of farming land and surrounds one of the largest registered commons in England on which cattle graze during the summer.

Services

Holy Communion is on the 3rd Sunday of the month at 11.00am with additional services at Easter and Christmas. Children and young people are welcome at any of our services but we have more special family services throughout the year.

See Service Calendar

Events

We run a number of community events throughout the year with tickets usually sold on our online shop here. 

Children & Families 

We have a dedicated children's corner which we would love you to use on visiting the church.

Accessibility 

St Mary's has the following features available in Church:

• Toilet
• Disabled toilet
• Baby changing
• Step free access suitable for wheelchairs (however the path to the Church is on grass)
• PA system with hearing loop
• Kitchen and refreshments

 Eco Church

St Mary's earned the Bronze Eco Church award in 2021 and Silver award in 2024. We are committed to making our church more sustainable for the future including a commitment to sustainable floral displays. You can see more information of Eco Church scheme here.

Church Bells

Car Colston has a ring of six bells on wooden headstocks. They were re-hung in 2023, including adding a new bell to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.  The treble was cast in 1633, the 3rd in 1872, the tenor, which weighs about 8 cwt, is an early piece of work by Richard Mellows of about 1480.

Our ringing practice sessions are on a Thursday morning. Please contact us if you would like to join us. 

A church has stood on the site since the 11th century. It was recorded in Domesday book of 1086, and is one of the oldest confirmed sites of Christian worship in the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham.

The main feature remaining of the 13th century church is the chancel. In the 14th century the octagonal pillar, chancel arch, side aisles and south porch were built. In the 18th century the tower was rebuilt.

Services

Sung Communion currently takes place on the first and fourth Sundays at 9.15am. On the second Sunday  there is a “Pancakes and Praise" family service at 10.00am - this is a contemporary informal service .

Refreshments follow all morning services, and pancakes and croissants are served before the Pancakes and Praise service.

There is a monthly sung Evensong on the third Sunday every month and a Book of Common Prayer communion at 10am every Wednesday.

St Peter's church has a robed choir.

There are a variety of additional services at Festival times during the year including Easter, St Peter's Feast Sunday, Harvest, Remembrance and Christmas. The Christingle services on Christmas Eve are a well-established village occasion. 

Accessibility 

St Peter's has the following features available in Church:

• Toilet 
• Step free access suitable for wheelchairs 
• Hearing loop/AV system
• Kitchen and refreshments

Eco Church

 St Peter's won the Bronze Eco Church award early in 2024 and the Silver Award in October 2024. We are committed to making our church more sustainable and to looking after our environment, including keeping a section of our churchyard unmown during the summer. We have recently installed bat boxes and a bug hotel in the churchyard to encourage wildlife to thrive.

Choir

The Choir of St Peter’s, East Bridgford is currently recruiting singers (+18) who would like to be part of something quite special and of good musical quality. The choir is under professional direction and all would be made welcome, particularly experienced music readers. The choir sings a wide genre of Sacred music at least three times per month and rehearses Thursday evenings at 6:30pm at the church. Please just come along for a supportive and welcoming introduction. 

 Church Bells

St. Peter’s has a ring of 8 bells, the tenor weighing just over 11 cwt.

Our main source of information about the bells is the History of East Bridgford written by the Reverend Du Boulay Hill (1850 – 1938). Rector of St. Peter’s for many years, he led a strong team of ringers after the great war.

In 1553 there were 3 bells.

The 5th (old 3rd) is the oldest bell. It was recast in 1631 and bears the inscription ‘Jesus be our spede’.

The second oldest bell is the 3rd (old treble). This was cast in 1649, the year the civil war ended. 

By the 17th century there were six bells, and in 2002, two further bells, a treble and a 2nd were added during a refurbishment.

Bellringers

We have a keen team of bellringers who praactise on Monday evenings and who play twice a month before services, as well as being available for special occasions. Teams of bellringers from across the area visit throughout the year. 

Churchyard

If you are searching for a particular grave in St Peter's churchyard, or tracing your family, you may wish to try the village history group website, where they have posted an extensive survey of the graves in the chuchyard under 'St Peter's Graveyard Survey'. You can find them at www.eastbridgford-history.org.uk

Our Church

St Helen’s church, Kneeton, is positioned high above the River Trent, just to the north east of East Bridgford. It is recorded in the Domesday Book and much of the building and graveyard is Saxon in origin. It is central to the village and, as well as a place of worship, acts as a meeting place for the village. The church has been lovingly maintained by succeeding generations; the chancel, nave and porch were rebuilt in 1879.The churchyard has some notable features - being some fine Swithland grave markers and its near circular shape suggests a possible much earlier date for the church.

 The clock was installed in the year 2000 to commemorate the Millennium.

Services

There is usually one service each month, but during the Interregnum there is no regular pattern. St Helen’s tries to hold a BCP Said Communion at least twice a year but is also pleased from time to time to host Fosse Group Communion services using Common Worship.  The St Helen’s community also takes great joy from the Festival Services at Christmas, Easter, Rogation and Harvest, all of which are usually well attended.  Refreshments are usually served after services.

Accessibility 

St Helen's has the following features available in Church:

• Two shallow steps
• Step free access suitable for wheelchairs 
• Large print books and sheets

Church Bells

St Helen’s originally had 3 bells, the tenor weighing just over 6 cwt.

In 1669 following a rebuilding of the church, the churchwardens reported ‘our bells are “forth of order” in the frames’. In 1892 all 3 bells were recast by Taylors of Loughborough.

In January 2001 the bells were augmented to four by the addition of a second-hand bell from the Roman Catholic church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Townhall, Swansea, in Wales.

These changes are commemorated on a brass plaque on the south wall which reads:

Treble bell January 2001
Donated by Susan Dawson
Installed by
Hayward Mills and George Dawson
In Memory of
Elizabeth Allen and Fred Smith

Kneeton has no regular ringers, but some of the East Bridgford ringers ring the bells on special occasions, e.g. Harvest Festival and Christmas carol service.

Our Village

Kneeton is a small village of some 30 households lying 9 miles SW of Newark-on -Trent and 2 miles NE of our joint parish of East Bridgford. It is bounded by the A46 to the east and the River Trent to the west. Much of the village, including the church, is in a conservation area - this reflects the very traditional appearance, layout and substantial historic interest of the village.

Kneeton has a mixture of dwellings from 17 Century Story’s House and early 18^th Century cottages, a former school house to more modern 20C and 21stC barn conversions and developments. There is also a former blacksmith’s smithy and pinfold.

Kneeton does not have a village hall, but the church has a role as a meeting place from time to time. As such, it can facilitate community action -for example, in 2023, money was raised to enable the planting of a Coronation oak tree in the centre of the village

Our Church

St Augustine's is Grade 1 listed. The original medieval church was cruciform in shape (unusual for the area) and the existing tower with its herringbone stonework is Norman in origin and contains 4 bells, the oldest dated 1613. Currently, the bells are not ringable.

The chancel has Early English arches, two of which were blocked up when the transepts were taken down and the nave rebuilt in 1828.

You can see a video tour of our Church here. 

Services

We hold monthly services on the 4th Sunday of the month usually at 11.00am. We have a mix of services including Communion and Morning Worship with some Evening Services at 6pm. Please check the service calendar for upcoming services and times. There are additional Festival services during the year at Easter, Harvest, Christmas and Remembrance.

Accessibility 

St Augustine's has the following features available in Church:

• Step free access via gated path with permission from Flintham Hall

Our Village:

Flintham is situated between Newark and Bingham off the Fosse Way (A46), a dual carriageway. This divides the population of about 750 (250 households) into two areas which are connected by pedestrian and road bridges over the A46. The two areas are the older established village of Flintham (a conservation area) and Coney Grey Spinney (newer, former RAF accommodation linked to the adjacent RAF Syerston).

The Flintham Estate still has influence in the village, owning about half of the properties in the older part of the village and much of the surrounding land. Flintham Hall is the home of the Hlidyard family. The house is Victorian Gothic in style with an older Georgian wing. There is also Victorian conservatory, the design of which was influenced by Crystal Palace.

The village has a number of amenities and amenity groups including local primary school, pub, village hall, community shop, Scouts, community choir, cricket club and pavilion. We also have a village museum

History and Heritage of the Village

Evidence exists for human settlement in the area in pre-Roman and Roman times. Three Saxon estates existed in the area which were later taken over by the Normans.

The Domesday Book (1086) records the presence of a religious building and a priest.

Thereafter Trinity College, Cambridge was granted control by Henry VIII and also had the right to appoint the vicar. This continued until about 1946 when the estates were sold.