News & Events

Following a visit from steeplejacks and a structural engineer in August 2025, we know that we have three failed pinnacles. These are the one closest to the Phoenix Theatre and the one on either side of it.

The top five or six stones on each pinnacle are loose, though the rod is holding them in place. We are still at a very early stage in diagnosing the problem, until we know that we can’t provide or cost a solution, or apply for funding to carry it out. This problem has occured before; we need to ensure that it is fixed properly this time, and for the long term. We have a team in place (architect, structural engineer and steeplejacks). They are work hard for us.

The short film below shows the scale of the problem.

There are also structural problems with the very top of the spire, which will also need to be dismantled and rebuilt.

For safety reasons we ask you to avoid this area of the churchyard, and the path by the tower has now been completely closed. We ask everyone to try to get into the habit of using the path around the east end of the church instead.

Please note also that there is now no parking in the churchyard.

We have now have level access into the church via a ramp at the Church Street end of the church. Please come into the churchyard through the gate at Old Maids Walk and follow the path along the wall to the ramp.

We will post more here as we have it.

Thank you for your understanding.

Here’s something new to St Mary’s for the Autumn.

Join us on Saturday 18th October for a fun evening with The Dancing Mister. Step back in time as Tim Walker brings to life the vibrant dances of Medieval Europe.

Tickets are just £10 (£2 for children) in advance (£12 on the night) A bargain!

For our next FREE Conversation over Lunch, on Wednesday 20th August at 1pm, we welcome the acclaimed author Sarah Dunant. Sarah will be in conversation with our very own Rustie Baker. The discussion will centre around her latest book “The Marchesa” – A bold novel history of ‘the first lady of the Renaissance’

Copies of the book will be available to purchase at the talk, signed by Sarah. We look forward to seeing you there. As always, please feel free to bring along your lunch.

‘An utterly fascinating portrayal of a formidable and brilliant woman wielding power in the complex turmoil of the political landscape of Renaissance Italy – a woman who is irrepressible even in death.’
Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne and Hera

Tomorrow (Saturday 5th July) at St Mary’s there’s Coffee and homemade cakes from 10.30 am – this time organised by St Mary’s Choir and Youth Choir.

Out in the churchyard the Churchyard Angels will be strimming and raking from 9.30 (and supplied with coffee and homemade cakes). Please come along and help if you have the time. Bring tools with you if at all possible. You’ll be most welcome in either place.

This month’s FREE lunchtime concert at St Mary’s (Wednesday 2nd July @ 1pm) will be given by music students from John Kyrle High School. We are greatly looking forward to welcoming them.

As always, feel free to bring your lunch, your laptop … Food outlets in High Street will be happy to provide you with food.

Why not bring along a friend, to support the students of Ross.

If you’re free at 5pm today (Saturday 7th June), drop into St Mary’s for 45 minutes of sumptuous Tudor music by Orlando Gibbons, who died 400 years ago this week. It’s all wrapped up in a service of Choral Evensong and sung by St Mary’s occasional choir, Round Byrd, that specialises in music of this period.

If you can’t manage that, how about Sunday 8th at 6pm when the regular church choir will be singing our usual service of Choral Evensong (2nd and 4th Sundays of the month) with more modern music for Pentecost. More on all this at https://rossparishes.uk/evensong

We look forward to seeing you!

We are greatly looking forward to seeing Northwick Baroque, once more, at St Mary’s. They will be performing on Wednesday 4th June at 1pm for the next in our series of FREE lunchtime concerts.

As always, please feel free to bring your lunch – the many wonderful food outlets on High Street will be happy to provide you with something delightful.

Tomorrow (Thursday 29th May) is Ascension Day. Join us for a service at St Mary’s.

At 1.00pm on Wednesday 21st May we have the second of St Mary’s FREE Conversations Over Lunch. This month we welcome Ralph Barber, Chair of the Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal Trust. His subject will be the fascinating past, present and future of the canal that used to run between Gloucester and Hereford, many stretches of which still exist and are being restored.

Then at 7.30pm, you are invited to Gardeners’ Question Time, the first big event in our Open Gardens season. Bring your gardening questions to put to our local panel of experts, chaired by Tim Shelley.

Come and meet TV antiques celebrity, Kate Bliss, on Wednesday 18th June in St Mary’s Church, 7.00pm. She will be talking about her experiences in the antiques and TV world and then giving some valuations of the things brought along by members of the audience – choose carefully!.

Tickets are available online (there is no booking fee) for £16 – £20 if you buy them on the day.

Did you know that there used to be a canal linking Hereford and Gloucester. Many stretches of it still exist, if you know where to look, and even where no canal is to be found there are many fetures (buildings, locks, bridges) that make it possible to see that it existed. All of this is looked after by the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal Trust who are enthusiastically restoring many sections on the route and have exciting plans.

Come and find out about the past, present and future of the canal in a FREE talk by Ralph Barber (Chairman of the Trust) on Wednesday 21st May, in St Mary’s Church. This is the second of our FREE summer series of talks – “Conversations over Lunch”. Feel free to bring your lunch, perhaps grab it from one of the many High Street outlets closeby. These events are generously supported by The Cambridge Journal of Law, Politics and Art – More at https://rossparishes.uk/conversations

It’s the first Saturday of the month so if you fancy a bit of a workout you could do worse than join the merry band of churchyard mowers, strimmers, tidiers … that will be in St Mary’s Churchyard from 9.30am. There’s coffee and delicious homemade cakes for grabs in the church too.

Come and meet TV antiques celebrity, Kate Bliss, on Wednesday 18th June in St Mary’s Church, 7.00pm. She will be talking about her experiences in the antiques and TV world and then giving some valuations of the things brought along by members of the audience – choose carefully!.

Tickets are available online (there is no booking fee) for £16 (to include a glass of wine or soft drink) – £20 if you buy them on the day.

Join us in St Mary’s on Wednesday 30th April as we begin a new chapter in the life of The Ross Parishes with the installation service for our new Rector, The Revd. Prebendary Kelvin Price.

The service begins at 7pm. We’re expecting a full church, so come early. Please stay for refreshments after the service.