Welcome

Little Gaddesden Parish Church


St Peter and St Paul’s –
Church of England

We are lucky enough to be the custodians of a beautiful, ancient church, tucked away in the Hertfordshire countryside, in an idyllic setting – the quintessential English Village Parish Church.

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Notices


Towards Net Zero

Little Gaddesden PCC is committed to a policy of Towards Net Zero – to reducing the carbon emissions produced by Church activities and is hoping to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.  To read more about how we’re planning to reach that goal, see our new Towards Net Zero page.

The Thomas Field Hall

Further details about the Thomas Field Hall, including a booking enquiries email address, are on The Thomas Field Hall page.


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Little Gaddesden Church Logo

The church of St Peter and St Paul, Little Gaddesden, has stood here for centuries and, just as it has always done, represents a beacon of hope and light in a world which isn’t always as we would like.

The congregation and community are thriving and full of life, so whether you’re a visitor or a new resident, you will always be welcome to our services. Our style of worship combines, we hope, the formal (delivered in a relaxed and friendly way) with opportunities for teaching and reflection.

Our principal Sunday service is Sung Holy Communion at 9:00 am most weeks – although on the second Sunday of the month we have an informal ‘Café Church’ service.

Children are always welcome. During school term time,  there are Sunday  School  activities for younger children, for part of the morning service. On the second Sunday, during Café Church, there is sometimes a separate teaching activity for the younger children.

On the first and third Sundays at 6:00pm there is usually an Evensong in Nettleden. Occasionally there are alternative evening services. Please see the Services page for details.

The church is open daily for private prayer and to light candles, should you so wish, and on most Thursday mornings there is quiet service of Holy Communion at 10:00 am.

On most Tuesdays from 10.30 till noon, coffee and delicious cake are offered, together with lively conversation, in The Thomas Field Hall.

The Churchyard is very important to our community. It is a place of respite for walkers and visitors to the church, who discover it to be very peaceful and tranquil. Not only is it a beautiful setting for just sitting and admiring the view, but it also provides the perfect place for people to come to remember their loved ones who are buried here, or whose ashes are interred here. For details about funerals, please first look here.

We welcome all those who would like to receive the sacrament of Holy Baptism, (Christening), and many couples are married here or have their marriage blessed. If you would like to know more about Holy Baptism (discussed briefly here), please contact the Vicar. For more details on weddings, in the first instance please go to the Weddings page.

Ministry at Little Gaddesden is shared with the adjoining parishes of Great Gaddesden and Nettleden.

The Revd. John Russell
Vicar

Little Gaddesden Church
Church Road
Little Gaddesden
Hertfordshire
HP4 1NZ

Scroll down to see four of our most frequently visited pages (Coming Up…, How to Find Us, Contact and a digest of the latest News), or browse the menu above to see everything.

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Photo credits: Barbara Sheard, Lyn Hyde, Andrew Sheard

Coming Up…

Here are the services and other events coming up in Little Gaddesden Parish Church in the next few days.
Services are held at Little Gaddesden Church unless otherwise stated.

Mar
28
Thu
Maundy Thursday
Mar 28 all-day
Sung Eucharist at Great Gaddesden with Stripping of Altars
Mar 28 @ 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Sung Eucharist with stripping of the altars and washing of feet

Mar
29
Fri
Good Friday
Mar 29 all-day
Service of Witness on The Green
Mar 29 @ 11:00 am – 11:30 am

Traditional Good Friday service on Little Gaddesden village green.

Hour Before the Cross at Nettleden
Mar 29 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Traditional Good Friday service in Nettleden church

Mar
30
Sat
Easter Saturday
Mar 30 all-day
Decorating the Church for Easter
Mar 30 @ 9:30 am

Decorating the Church for Easter

If you would like to help decorate our church for Easter, please do contact Anne Isherwood and let her know.  The church will be decorated from 9.30am on Saturday 30th March.  All welcome.

Anne Isherwood (01442 842780).

Mar
31
Sun
British Summer Time Starts
Mar 31 – Apr 1 all-day

Clocks go forward one hour at 1:00am on the last Sunday in March.

Easter Day
Mar 31 all-day
Easter Day Family Communion
Mar 31 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am

Current Date and Time

15 February 2024

The 'Coming Up...' calendar is an interactive version of the complete Parish Calendar in an 'Agenda' style list. It shows what's happening in the near future.

The full Parish Calendar shows all events.

See the Using the Calendars page for more.


Useful Calendar Links


Header image credit: All Drone Services Limited

How to Find Us

We’re on Church Road in Little Gaddesden, a few miles north of Berkhamsted, and the postcode is HP4 1NZ.

Church Road is off Nettleden Road, opposite the white gates to Ashridge College, at the north end of Little Gaddesden village green.

Location on Google Maps

Location on Ordnance Survey Maps

For your Sat Nav…

Postcode: HP4 1NZ

Latitude and Longitude: 51.814241, -0.554200
(51°48’51.3″N 0°33’15.1″W)

Full Address

Little Gaddesden Church
Church Road
Little Gaddesden
Berkhamsted
Hertfordshire
HP4 1NZ

Other Locators

OS Grid Reference: SP998138
(Landranger Sheet 165); SP99781382 (Explorer Sheet 182)
(Reading OS maps)

Plus code (what’s that?):
RC7W+M8 Little Gaddesden, Berkhamsted

What3words (what’s that?):
///treble.highly.undulation

Parking

Parking for about 50 visiting cars is available in the church car park (green marker on the map below). There is an overflow car park (blue marker) five minutes walk from the church (red marker). The overflow car park is back down Church Road, opposite Bede Court and next to the bowls club.

Cycling and Walking

Little Gaddesden Church is on a network of country lanes, bridleways, footpaths and long distance trails, all visible on the 1:50,000 scale tiles of the OS map extract above.

The Chiltern Way logo

The Chiltern Way crosses Church Road halfway between Nettleden Road and the church.

Chilterns Cycleway sign

The Chilterns Cycleway runs through Little Gaddesden along Nettleden Road and Hudnall Lane.

Sponsored Bike 'n Hike logo

Little Gaddesden Church has long participated in the annual Sponsored Bike ‘n Hike organised by the Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust on the second Saturday in September each year.

Please be sure to lock your car, and not to leave any valuables in it.

Public Transport

Rail

The nearest railway station is Berkhamsted, which has frequent trains from London Euston (30-40 mins journey time) and other stations on the West Coast Main Line. The bus service from Berkhamsted to Little Gaddesden is infrequent, but taxis are generally available at the station. Little Gaddesden Church is about ten minutes by car from Berkhamsted station.

Air

The nearest airports are:

  • Luton (25-45 mins by taxi, or 1-2 hrs by train via London to Berkhamsted) and
  • Heathrow (40-80 mins by taxi, or 1 ½ -2 hrs by train via London to Berkhamsted).

Airport taxi journey times are heavily dependent on traffic.

Little Gaddesden Weather

Our new style weather forecast is powered by Windy. It reports the current local weather and gives a forecast for the next few days:

Our old weather forecast was powered by Dark Sky, which has been bought by Apple. From 2023 it can no longer be embedded in websites, but lives on in the new Apple Weather app for iPhones, iPads and Macs.

Header image: adapted from an 1896 Ordnance Survey One-Inch map, reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

Contact

The Vicar

The Revd. John Russell
St John’s Vicarage, Piper’s Hill, Great Gaddesden HP1 3BY
Tel:  01442 214898
Email: vicar@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Enquiries about baptisms, banns, weddings, funerals and memorials in the churchyard should be made to the Vicar. If the Vicarage phone is on voicemail please leave a message — it will be attended to as soon as possible. Alternatively, messages can be left with the Churchwardens.

Churchwardens

Terri Adams
Email: churchwarden.ta@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Jane Dickson
Tel: 07795 348938
Email: churchwarden.jd@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

To contact both Churchwardens
Email: churchwardens@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Treasurer

Allan Webster
Email: treasurer@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Accounts

Vanessa Connor
Tel: 01442 843274
Email: accounts@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Parish Administrator

Helene Hockings
Email: parish.admin@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Tower Captain

Virginia Westmacott
Tel: 01442 842428
Email: bells@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Website

Peter Leonhardt
Email: peter@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Andrew Sheard
Email: wp-admin@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Associate Priest

The Revd. Miranda Seldon
Email: associate.priest@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Readers

Anthony Archer
Tel:  07721 504125
Email: anthony.archer@bridgewaterassociates.co.uk

Heather Tisbury
Tel: 01582 842807
Email: reader.ht@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

PCC Secretary

Barbara Sheard
Tel: 01442 843591
Email: pcc.secretary@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Organist & Choirmaster

John Leonhardt
Tel: 01442 843550

Safeguarding Officers

Heather Tisbury
Tel: 01582 842807
Email: safeguarding@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Paulette Reed
Tel: 07786 707495
Email: safeguarding@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Flower Arranging Co-ordinator

Anne Isherwood
Tel: 01442 842780
Email: flowers@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

War Remembrance

Jane Dickson
Email: war-remembrance@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk

Little Gaddesden Church Contacts

Header artwork credit: Tim Hockings

Latest News

The Latest News section, below, is just a taster of the latest items from our News page. To visit the News page, which has fully formatted news items with images, either use the menu at the top of the page or click here.

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Latest News

Week of Sunday 24th March, Palm Sunday, Holy Week begins

Services Sunday 24th March, Palm Sunday 9am Nettleden Morning Prayer with Blessing of the Palms (MS)9am Little Gaddesden Donkey Procession from village hall to church, Family Service (JR/AG) 11am Great Gaddesden Donkey Procession, Family Service(MS/HT) 1pmGreat GaddesdenBaptism of Eva Bevan(JR) Tues
Continue reading

Week of Sunday 17th March, Lent 5

Services Sunday 17th March, Lent 5 9am Little Gaddesden Parish Communion(JR/AWA-pr) 11am Great Gaddesden Parish Communion(JR/AWA-pr) 6pmNettledenEvensong(RH) Tuesday 19th March 9amGreat Gaddesden Holy Communion (MS)10.30 am Little Gaddesden Coffee and Cake in the Thomas Field Hall (see below) Wednes
Continue reading

Sunday 10th March, Mothering Sunday

Services Sunday 10th March, Mothering Sunday 9am Nettleden Morning Prayer (HT)9am Little Gaddesden Café Church (JR) 11am Great Gaddesden Café Church(JR) Tuesday 12th March 9amGreat Gaddesden Holy Communion (MS)10.30 am Little Gaddesden Coffee and Cake in the Thomas Field Hall (see below) Wednesday 1
Continue reading

Keep Up to Date with Little Gaddesden Church News via Email

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Go to the Little Gaddesden Church News page

Header artwork credit: Tim Hockings