Leigh Woods & Abbots Leigh Parish Church

07/05/2026

Sunday 10th May at St Mary’s Church in Leigh Woods we are having a ‘Request Service’ run by Alan Shellard.

The service will be held at 6.30pm and run rather like a Carol service comprising of favourite Hymns alternating with readings of poetry on any subject recently chosen by the parishioners. All are welcome.

If you have any questions please contact our administrator Abi, at: [email protected]

27/03/2026

11/03/2026

What's new in the Parish of Abbots Leigh and Leigh Woods..


Mothering Sunday

Sunday 15 March - Holy Trinity 10.30am

This week is Mothering Sunday to be held at Holy Trinity Church, Abbots Leigh at 10.30am. It would be lovely to see as many of you as possible. We will have our traditional posies for all mothers.

Posy Making

Saturday 14 March - St Mary's Church, Vestry, 10.30am

Posy making will take place Saturday 14th March at 10.30am in St Mary's Church Vestry, Leigh Woods. All are very welcome to come and help including families with children of course. Coffee and biccies………

God bless

Rev Rosemary Radcliffe

18/01/2026

Thanks to everyone who came to welcome Rosemary to the Parish in her first service this morning, which was welcomed with coffee, cake and a peal of bells.

14/01/2026

Red alert - Sunday 18th January

Our new Vicar Rosemary has now been inducted and her inaugural service is going to be on 18th January in Holy Trinity, Abbots Leigh at 10.30 am.

We hope many of you will come along to give her a big welcome. As an inducement there will be coffee and cake after the service to allow us time to meet and chat to Rosemary.

Let us all wish her well in her new role.

03/01/2026

Final call for Rosemary’s induction as Vicar of this parish. Please see invitation below and if you wish to attend please let Mike Bothamley know by 6 Jan.

The United Parish of Abbots Leigh with Leigh Woods invites you to the Service of Institution and Induction of the Revd Rosemary Radcliffe as their Vicar and for refreshments afterwards, at 7.30 pm on Tuesday 13 January 2026 at St Mary the Virgin, Church Road, Leigh Woods, BS8 3PG.

Please RSVP to [email protected] by Tuesday 6 January 2026, specifying any special dietary requirements.

Clergy and LLMs are invited to robe in choir dress (cassock, surplice and scarf – black or blue). Please confirm if you intend to robe.

There is plentiful on street car parking in Leigh Woods but a residents parking scheme operates 0900 to 2100. Payment is by cash or the Mi Permit app. 2 hours' parking costs £2.00, 3 hours £3.60. Avoid Residents parking bays where restrictions operate 24 hours a day.

16/12/2025

Please find your invitation to Rosemary’s induction in January below. We need to know numbers attending for catering so please reply by 6 January as requested. Many thanks and what a start to 2026!

The United Parish of Abbots Leigh with Leigh Woods invites you to the Service of Institution and Induction of the Revd Rosemary Radcliffe as their Vicar and for refreshments afterwards, at 7.30 pm on Tuesday 13 January 2026 at St Mary the Virgin, Church Road, Leigh Woods, BS8 3PG.

Please RSVP to [email protected] by Tuesday 6 January 2026, specifying any special dietary requirements.

Clergy and LLMs are invited to robe in choir dress (cassock, surplice and scarf – black or blue). Please confirm if you intend to robe.

There is plentiful on street car parking in Leigh Woods but a residents parking scheme operates 0900 to 2100. Payment is by cash or the Mi Permit app. 2 hours' parking costs £2.00, 3 hours £3.60. Avoid Residents parking bays where restrictions operate 24 hours a day.

01/12/2025

GOOD NEWS
We are delighted that we have a new Vicar, Rosemary, who will be joining us in January. Here is a little introduction to her.

Hello,
I am delighted to have accepted the invitation to be with you all in the United Parish of Abbots Leigh and Leigh Woods. I’m looking forward to learning more about each of your stories, and in the meantime here’s a little bit about mine.

I grew up in Redland in the 1980’s, went to University in Plymouth to study Law in 1990, and came back to Bristol afterwards. I’ve been married to my husband Richard for 25 years, and we have three children, Samantha, Hayden and Emily. Hayden and Emily are both in their second years at Uni, Hayden in Stirling, Scotland and Emily at Exeter. Samantha lives in our family home in Knowle, South Bristol and has taken over the Childminding Business that I have been running since 2008. Until the vicarage is ready for us to move into, Richard and I will continue to live there with her, and I will commute into the Parish on my “in person” days. This is something I am familiar with, having served the majority of my curacy as Curate in Charge of Warmley, Bitton and Syston, whilst working part time. Since joining St Luke’s Church, Brislington I have started an MA in Christian Spirituality, and I am enjoying blending study with work, church, family and life in general.

I’ve always loved reading, in particular sci-fi/fantasy and historical fiction, and I enjoy similar TV dramas/films. We enjoy playing board games as a family and with friends, as well as a range of table-top role-play games, Murder Mysteries Weekends and an occasional Escape Room.

I was a Brownie and Rainbow Guider for over 30 years and sang with St Martin’s (Knowle) Church Choir for about 10 years before training to become a vicar. My faith has developed through these experiences, and I hope to share some of that with you in the future.

I believe that our loving God, created us to be in community with one another, and that we honour God when we support and encourage each other; through listening to each other’s voices, identifying those who don’t have opportunities to speak out and enabling their point of view to be seen.

It is my hope and prayer that together we will grow in our understanding of Christ’s love for us and for each other, and to share that knowledge with the wider community.

Be assured you are in my prayers, and I look forward to being with you in due course.

God Bless,

Rosemary

Reverend Rosemary Radcliffe