St Peter’s Church, Ashburnham, stands within the grounds of Ashburnham Place. 

There seems to have been a church at Ashburnham since as early as 1086, and the list of vicars begins in 1399.  But no part of the present building can be put earlier than about 1400, and the greater part of the church as it is now was built by John Ashburnham (1603-1671) and his brother William in the second half of the 17th century, soon after the Restoration. 

Today the church has a lively congregation, and its members are active in every aspect of village life.

St Michael’s the Archangel, Penhurst is a fourteenth century Perpendicular Grade 1 listed building.   It is situated in a remote rural setting next door to Penhurst Retreat Centre which was formerly the Manor House. 

Services at the church follow the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and  members of the congregation are drawn from a variety of surrounding towns and villages.

The two churches form a united benefice, with a Priest in Charge, ministering mostly at Ashburnham, and an Associate Vicar at Penhurst.

Neither of these two ancient buildings receives any help from the state or the diocese towards their upkeep  or repair. 

For many generations, local families have been baptised, married or buried here, but the small rural congregations struggle to  find the significant amounts of money needed to repair windows or stonework, or to deal with modern building requirements.

The Friends of Ashburnham and Penhurst Churches aim to raise funds for the maintenance, repair and enhancement of the buildings and grounds.

You can help by becoming a Friend, supporting us with regular donations, and attending the special events and money-raising activities that we run from time to time.