Busbridge Church

St John the Baptist, Busbridge
St John the Baptist, Busbridge
	The church viewed from the west
	51°10′38.0″N 0°36′6.4″W / 51.177222°N 0.601778°WCoordinates: 51°10′38.0″N 0°36′6.4″W / 51.177222°N 0.601778°W
Location	Brighton Road, Busbridge, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XA
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Website	www.bhcgodalming.org
History
Founded	1867
Founder(s)	Mr and Mrs John Ramsden of Busbridge Hall
Dedicated	1867
Architecture
Architect(s)	George Gilbert Scott
Style	Gothic Revival
Years built	1865-1867
Administration
Parish	Busbridge
Deanery	Godalming
Archdeaconry	Surrey
Episcopal area	Guildford (Bishop of Guildford)
Diocese	Guildford
Clergy
Rector	Simon Taylor
Vicar(s)	Catherine McBride (Associate Vicar), Margot Spencer, David Mace, James Gibson, Andy Spencer, John Postill, David Jenkins

Busbridge Church or St John the Baptist Church, is an evangelical Anglican Church in Busbridge, Godalming, England. Busbridge Church is part of a joint benefice with Hambledon Church^[1] in the village of Hambledon, Surrey. Together Busbridge and Hambledon Church have six Sunday congregations ranging from traditional to modern and contemporary services.^[2] On a Sunday Busbridge Church and Hambledon Church put on youth and children's groups for over 200 young people.^[3]

History[]

Busbridge Church was founded by John and Emma Ramsden of Busbridge Hall. Building work took place between 1865 and 1867 and finished with the building's dedication in 1867. The church was designed by George Gilbert Scott and has a wrought-iron chancel screen by Edwin Lutyens, who also designed the First World War memorial. There are stained glass windows by Morris & Co., including Edward Burne-Jones, and later ones by Archibald Keightley Nicholson. The church is designated as a Grade II* listed building.^[4]

Main WWI memorial window by Archibald Keightley Nicholson. The left-hand pane shows Saint Martin above Amiens Cathedral. The right-hand pane shows Saint Nicholas above Scapa Flow and battleships of the Grand Fleet

Memorials[]

The churchyard contains several significant memorials by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, who also designed the house at nearby Munstead Wood for his friend and collaborator Gertrude Jekyll. Lutyens designed Busbridge War Memorial, a Grade II* listed building, unveiled in 1922, which sits at the end of the churchyard at the junction of Brighton Road and Hambledon Road. It is one of dozens of Lutyens' war memorials around England and elsewhere after the First World War and one of fifteen of his War Crosses, which all share a similar design. The names of the village's war dead are listed on a plaque inside the church. Lutyens also designed memorials to Julia Jekyll (Gertrude's mother), Francis McLaren, and a joint memorial to Sir Herbert Jekyll (Gertrude's brother) and his wife Dame Agnes Jekyll, and to Gertrude herself.^[5]

Sunday Services[]

Busbridge Church[]

8:30am Quiet Service[]

On a Sunday morning there is the Quiet Service at 8:30am. They share Holy Communion every two weeks and follow both the book of Common Worship and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The service is approximately half an hour long and is led by robed clergy or LLMs.^[6]

10:00am Classic Service[]

Classic congregation then meets in Busbridge Church from 10.00am till 11.00am. They also follow Common Worship and host an all age service on the first Sunday of each month. Holy Communion is celebrated on the second and fourth Sundays. The worship and music style is both traditional with contemporary songs and hymns with the aid of a church organ.^[7]

6:30pm Evening Worship[]

The 6:30 is an informal evening service with extended periods of music and a relaxed atmosphere. Holy Communion is on the first Sunday of evening month.^[8]

Busbridge Junior School[]

10:00am Contemporary Service[]

Simultaneous with the Classic Service, a contemporary congregation meets across the road in Busbridge Junior School. Worship is band-led and there is regular use of modern media. Holy Communion is on the third Sunday.^[9]