Baptism is fundamentally about ‘belonging’ and ‘commitment’.  It is the way by which a person joins the Christian community and takes on responsibilities as a follower of Jesus Christ.  And it is a sign of commitment in two directions: firstly, it is a sign of God’s commitment to the person being baptised; and secondly, it is a sign of that person’s (or his or her parents’) commitment to God and their desire to follow Jesus Christ.

Many people come for Baptism or Christening when a child has been born and they want to give thanks and desire to bring up that child in the Christian faith.  As well as a ceremonial opportunity for giving the child a name, and a celebration for family and friends, a service of Baptism marks the point where a child begins his or her own personal journey as a follower of Jesus Christ.  And it recognises that they will need the love, care and nurture of their parents, godparents and the Christian community to help them.

Confirmation is a service, led by a bishop, for those who have been baptised as children and who now want to make an adult commitment to follow Jesus Christ.

If you live in the parish of Sherborne you may obtain a leaflet describing baptism from the Parish Office in Abbey Close, together with a copy of the words used during the baptism service and an application form. Forms should be completed and returned to the Parish Office. One of the clergy will then arrange to come and visit you. For further information click here to email the Parish Office.

Please note that if you do not live in the parish you must write to the Rector’s PA at The Parish Office,  3 Abbey Close, Sherborne DT9 3LQ in the first instance.

If you are reading this because you have recently been bereaved, and would like to enquire about a Funeral Service, please accept our condolences.  Your appointed Funeral Directors will make all of the necessary arrangements including any arrangements made with the Abbey. Once the arrangements are in place a member of the clergy team appointed for the funeral will make contact with you to discuss orders of service etc.

Sherborne Abbey is open daily 365 days a year and we welcome visitors wishing to come and admire the beauty of the building, take time for personal reflection, come and pray, or participate in one of our regular services. There is no charge to come in as we rely entirely on donations and we would be grateful if you would leave a donation in one of the boxes, if you are able to do so, as you leave the building.

Currently The Abbey is open to visitors on Mondays to Saturdays 8.00 am – 5.00 pm and on Sundays 11.00 am – 5.00pm. (No entry fee.)

Alterations to Visiting Hours

The Abbey is open to visitors as per the above visiting hours but, as a working church, please bear in mind that visiting and tours may occasionally be disrupted due to special services, events or for conservation work. Please either check the notices as you enter in case there is a service taking place in which case we ask that you visit quietly and considerately.  You are also welcome to contact the Parish Office for more information. Thank you.

Where possible, details of baptism & funeral services, weddings and other events are posted here:

School Service – Sunday 19 May (11.30 am).

Sherborne Abbey Festival – Thursday 2 May to Thursday 9 May (various rehearsals/events/concerts during these dates in the Abbey).

Guides

In addition to a colour guidebook, which can be purchased inside the main door, we have free leaflets which will give you information about the building which you can take away after your visit. In addition to English these are available in many European languages, also Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Ukrainian. Additionally, our Guardians and Vergers will be pleased and do their best to answer any questions you might have about the building. For our younger visitors we also have a selection of Abbey Trails for them to complete as they go around the building.

Accessibility

The Abbey is, for the most part, disabled friendly. The entrance has no steps and is wheelchair friendly. There are, however, some areas on different levels and a disabled visitor may find access to the Lady Chapel difficult. Whilst we do not allow dogs, Guide Dogs and Assistance dogs are welcome. The Abbey does not have any public accessible lavatories.

Guided Tours (free of charge)

During the summer months, from w/c 1 April 2024 until Friday 29 November 2024, we offer free guided tours lasting approximately 45 minutes to an hour, on Tuesday & Thursday mornings at 10.30am and Wednesday & Friday afternoons at 2.00pm.

In addition, between Saturday 6 July 2024 and Sunday 8 September 2024, tours are run on Saturday mornings at 10.30 am and on Sunday mornings at 11.15 am (or 2.00 pm should there be a baptism in the morning – please check with the Parish Office or see below).

You can join these without pre-booking – a guide will be waiting in the Abbey’s entrance porch.

Please note that sometimes our regular guided tours, as above, cannot take place due to a service. We try and keep this to a minimum but please contact the Parish Office especially if you are travelling a distance to double check – we can always arrange a private tour on the different date/time for you!

Due to services/events, the following regular tours will NOT take place on Thurs 2 May, Fri 3 May, Tues 7 May, Wed 8 May, Fri 5 July, Fri 12 July, Sun-Sat 14-20 July inclusive, Sat 27 July, Fri 23 August & Sat 31 August 2024.

Tours can be arranged by prior arrangement between December – March by ringing Joanna at the Parish Office on 01935 713777.

Group Tours (free of charge)

Additionally, we can book guided tours for pre-arranged groups – again, we do not make a charge for these tours but appreciate any donation made to The Abbey you may wish to give. Please book in advance through the Parish Office, by telephoning 01935 713777 Option 1. (Very occasionally guided tours have to be cancelled to allow funerals or other services to, rightly, take priority.)

Please note that as from 2024 we shall be asking groups organised by tour companies to make a donation of £5.00 per head for their guided tours.

We hope you will enjoy your visit to The Abbey and Sherborne and we look forward to welcoming you.

The Abbey provides a wonderful setting for musical events and is particularly popular with choral groups. Because Sherborne has a relatively small population and because there are many other activities going on in the Abbey, the number of concerts per year is limited to approximately one per month. Our concert schedule therefore tends to be booked up well in advance, so we advise you to make enquiries in good time.

For queries regarding concerts please contact the Concerts Administrator, Rachel Greaves, concerts@sherborneabbey.com or contact the Director of Music, James Henderson.

Below is a summary of the Abbey’s main concert facilities.

Sherborne Abbey welcomes visiting choirs, of a good standard, when our own Abbey choir is not in residence. Typically this is during the school holiday periods of half term and the longer vacations. The Abbey Choir is in residence for major festival services such as Christmas and Easter.

There are two sung services on a Sunday and visiting choirs are welcome to sing one, but preferably both. The morning Parish Eucharist (9.30am) requires a Mass setting of no more than 12 minutes and one or two motets to be sung during the distribution. The evening service (6.00pm) is a sung or choral evensong requiring an Introit, Precis and Responses, a canticle setting, and an anthem. We also enjoy choirs singing evensong during weekdays at 5.00pm.  The Abbey has a fine 3 manual organ, the details of which can be found here. The choir would be required to bring their own organist.

Availability and further details and details of local accommodation can be obtained from the Parish Office on 01935 713777 or by email Sue.Lee@sherborneabbey.com. Office hours are weekdays 9.00am – 3.00pm.

• Diocese of Salisbury
• Sherborne Deanery
• Sherborne Abbey Festival
• Sherborne Abbey Bellringers
• Sherborne Town Council
• Sherborne Abbey School
• Major Churches Network
• Dorset Historic Churches Trust

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