Welcome Message

Prayer, Witness and Service

Welcome to the website for the Waterside Group of Churches (Benefice), we are a group of church communities committed to following Jesus and sharing his love in the heart of the Norfolk Broads. Our four parish churches including All Saints, Catfield, St. Mary's, Hickling, St. Catherine’s, Ludham and St. Nicholas, Potter Heigham. A warm welcome can be found at all of our churches, we look forward to greeting new visitors and old friends alike.

The four churches of the Waterside Benefice are committed to providing a welcome to all members of the community and our many visitors. We do this through prayer, visible witness and practical involvement in our individual parishes and in our community.

The Waterside Group has a deep desire to show the Grace of God in its community, guided by the example of Jesus Christ.

The Churches of the Waterside Group Benefice

All Saints, Catfield

The church at Catfield was completely rebuilt in the 14th and 15th centuries, built in traditional Anglian flint and stone. The oldest part of the church is the 14th century west tower. In the tower is a first floor chamber used as a residence by the priest. It contains a fireplace and recessed stone cupboard, with light from four narrow lancet windows. Above the nave arcades are traces of wall paintings. One thought to have been painted around 1377 and shows Stephen kneeling in prayer, while two men throw stones. All Saints contains many more treasures click on the link below to discover more and to find out about our services.

St Mary's, Hickling

St. Mary's church was built in the 13th century by the canons of Hickling Priory, founded by the Valoins family in 1185. Hickling village is situated on the edge of the Hickling Broads, a popular destination for tourists and holiday makers. St. Mary's is said to be a gem of a historic building, in a beautiful setting. The striking west tower is perhaps the best feature of the church. It stands 90 feet high, with diagonal corner buttresses rising over 3 stages high towards an embattled top. For more information about the church and services held there click on the link below.

St Catherine's, Ludham

St Catherine's church sits at the centre of the pretty village of Ludham. Its size and splendour is a reminder of Ludham's wealth in the heady days of the 14th and 15th centuries, when Norfolk thrived on the proceeds of the wool trade. The present church was begun in the 14th century, but only the striking west tower and the chancel date from this period. The nave was rebuilt in the 15th century in Perpendicular style and given a superb hammer-beam roof of oak. St. Catherine's contains many uniqe and interisting features click on the link below for more information about these and services and events held in the church.

St Nicholas, Potter Heigham

Situated in a quiet spot amongst trees at the edge of the village. St Nicholas is one of Norfolks round tower churches, an early round tower rising over 10 meters has an embattled octagon belfry added around C14. Remarkable are the six tall Perpendicular clerestory windows on both north and south sides of the church topped by a neatly thatched roof. Inside can be found a striking brick font and many wall paintings the best are the Seven Works of Mercy in the south aisle. For more about these wall paintings and to find out about services click on the link below.

Services

The Waterside Group has a monthly Benefice Holy Communion Service on the first Sunday of each month. This service will be held in one of the parish churches each month, please check our calendar for details.
The regular pattern of services during the rest of the month may be a service of Holy Communion or Morning Worship held in each of the parish churches.

Please see below for the times of each service and look on the calendar for more details.

  • All Saints, Catfield - 9.30am
  • St. Mary, Hickling - 10.00am
  • St. Catherine's, Ludham - 9.30am
  • St. Nicholas, Potter Heigham - 10.00am

Please check our calendar for more details and amendments to the church services.

Events

Throughout the year the churches of The Waterside Group Benefice organises regular events for all the family.

For more information about our upcoming events got to the calendar/events page.

Photos & Video

Take a look at some photographs and video clips from past events and services on our media page, click on the link below.

Morning and Evening Prayer

Morning and Evening Prayer is said at St Catherine's Church, Ludham throughout the week. The offices of Morning and Evening Prayer are said from Common Worship: Daily Prayer, embracing the three key elements of praise, intercession and engagement with Scripture.
All are welcome to join us.

  • Morning Prayer: Monday - Saturday at 8.30am
  • Evening Prayer: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 5.00pm (During the winter months evening prayer is said at home).

Online Daily Prayer

Click the link below to view an online copy of Morning and Evening Prayer on the Church of England website.

Weddings, Baptism and Funerals

It is our privilege to be involved in many of the significant moments of people's lives. Here at The Waterside Group of Churches we will do our best to guide you through what Christians mean by baptism, marriage and funerals.

Message from the Rector

Epiphany – New Beginnings

A house divided against itself cannot stand", and "the house that prays together stays together," the scripture tells us. Great words of encouragement to us in the Waterside Group of Churches. The four churches of Catfield, Hickling, Potter Heigham and Ludham, have been drawn together to discern a common purpose together, to walk with one another along The Way, and to grow Gods Kingdom in the villages where we live.

You might wonder what this means and what this looks like in reality, for us we do this in various ways. Bellringing, cinema, car share and computer club, parent toddler groups, Care Home visits with singing and Holy Communion. Choirs and scratch band in pubs, funerals, weddings and baptisms and confirmations, home visiting and pastoral care, as well as social events, visiting our three schools weekly with drama and plays, knitting and nattering alongside coffee mornings to name but a few. These are some of the ways in which we consider to be "growing the kingdom" or loving the people in the communities where we live. We welcome all to join us at services and to help out with young people or our not so young, and all the other things in between, we would be glad to see you and you would be assured of a warm welcome always.

You will see that we also have new services coming up, another opportunity to bring our communities together. On Wednesdays in every Parish at 9.45 am there will an informal Holy Communion Service with music and singing and prayers for healing.
We will begin in February (see dates below).

  • St Mary Hickling on 6th February
  • All Saints Catfield 13th February
  • St Catherine Ludham 20th February
  • St Nicholas Potter Heigham on 27th February.

All are welcome.

We also are in the process of preparing a new Electoral Roll, if you would like a form to complete and would like to belong, help out or join in, or start something new in any of our villages contact admin@watersidegroup.org.uk, or Revd Deborah by email on rector@watersidegroup.org.uk. Check out our website and facebook pages: www.watersidegroup.org.uk.
At the beginning of this new year may you and your families and all those that you pray for and help and walk alongside, be blessed now and always, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Revd Deborah Hamilton-Grey

Ministry Team

The Revd Deborah-Hamilton-Grey (Rector)

rector@watersidegroup.org.uk

01692 678382

Alex Cordiner (Authorised Worship Assistant)

alexcordiner@btopenworld.com

01692 678682

Ian Watton (Licensed Reader)

01692 598907

John Savage (Authorised Worship Assistant, Organist and Choirmaster)

johndsavage@ymail.com

01692 678654

Lynda Savage (Authorised Worship Assistant, Verger)

lysa24sept@yahoo.co.uk

01692 678654

Michael Hamilton-Grey(Authorised Worship Assistant)

m.hamilton.grey@gmail.com

01692 678382

Christine Wall (Authorised Worship Assistant)

thewalls@broadland.net

Stephen Pitkethly (Authorised Worship Assistant)

stephen@dadsboats.com

Judith Gardiner (Authorised Worship Assistant)

judithgardiner5@aol.com

Zephney Kennedy (Authorised Worship Assistant)

zlkndy@gmail.com

How to reach us

Rector of the Waterside Group Benefice: The Revd Deborah Hamilton-Grey

Links

Dioces of NorwichThe Church of England

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