Each year the church hosts a variety of events including:
- The annual reunion of the RAF 100 (Bomber Support) Association, which commemorates those who served at RAF Swannington.
- Forties in the Fields – a recreation of Haveringland during World War Two
- Shared Silences. Inspired by similar events at Norwich Cathedral, we share the chance to retreat from the noise of our modern lives and spend time to reflect in peaceful surroundings.
- Heritage Open Days celebrating our local history.
Haveringland Together
Haveringland Together, which is the name of the “Friends of St. Peter’s Church” group, puts on events which celebrate the church, both in its role as a festival church and as a community hub, as well as promote our local heritage.
Funds raised at these events are used to maintain, repair and improve St. Peter’s Church.
Use the button below to see the full Terms of Reference for Haveringland Together.
Forthcoming events
Details of forthcoming events are posted on social media in the following places:
On the Haveringland Parish Church Facebook page
Also on the the Haveringland Together Facebook page
If you are a member of the local NextDoor network you can log in to your account and find out about forthcoming events and meetings.
Forthcoming events are also publicised on the Haveringland website.
Here are the highlights of 2023:
carols in the churchyard 2023
21st december 2023
St. Peter’s Church welcomed about forty people to its annual carol service. The floodlit tower was a welcome beacon in the darkness. Carolers followed the path to the porch, which was illuminated by lanterns, and gathered around the dancing flames from the fire pit.
The strong winds of Storm Pia proved challenging. After singing a few carols holding tightly onto our carol sheets, we continued singing inside the church.
Warmth restored by mulled wine, mince pies and sausage rolls, more carols were sung.
Making hay 2023
Saturday dawned fine but cloudy, and remained dry – perfect weather for cutting and raking the wildflower areas in the churchyard. Armed with tools such as strimmers, mowers and secateurs, members of the local community assembled at St. Peter’s and set to task.
Use the button below to find out more:
norfolk open churches classic car run
This year, St. Peter’s Church was on the route of the 14th Annual Norfolk Open Churches classic car run. Throughout the morning about 100 classic cars wound their way along Norfolk’s lanes to visit historic churches along their 60 mile journey.
Use the button below to find out more about the visit and see a selection of photos:
ten towers trail launch
The Ten Towers Trail was launched at Haveringland Church on 23rd July 2023. Reverend Canon Julie Boyd welcomed people and revealed the trail leaflet which includes a map of the route and information about the churches on the route.
There were stalls to visit with information about the wider project of repairs, improvements and heritage activities planned for St. Peter’s Church and of course, refreshments.
This walking trail explores some of Norfolk’s finest churches. The circular route is a mixture of public footpaths and quiet country lanes, with a suggested starting point at St. Peter’s Church.
You can find full details about the Ten Towers Trail, including a downloadable map and a selection of photos from the launch using the following button.
haveringland silence 2023
Our summer evening shared silences have become a Haveringland tradition. This year’s date of 28th May was earlier than usual, due to the forthcoming work to upgrade the church.
Fifteen of us gathered on a beautiful sunny evening for 45 minutes to watch the sunset and share the peace of this special place. In addition to our silence regulars, we were delighted to welcome several new faces, including some who regularly attend the Norwich Cathedral quarterly silences. They appreciated the opportunity to sit outside, in our churchyard which is surrounded by rescued horses grazing in the fields.
As usual, we started with a short piece of music in the church then we all came outside to choose a chair or blanket in a suitable spot to settle into nature and the quiet. While our beautiful churchyard is available for individual silent reflection every day, there is something special about sharing the experience with other people.
A bell brought us back into the church for some beautiful singing by Joss, accompanied by Andrew at the organ. Chatting over Mary’s drinks and nibbles gave us the chance to get to know our newcomers and hear about how they had found us and what they liked about the experience of shared silence.
You can experience a little of Haveringland Silence 2023 using the button below:
or watch a video about past shared silences in Haveringland using this button:
Next year’s summer silence at Haveringland will return to its usual month of July, with its warmer evenings. When improvements to the church have been completed, we hope that we will also be able to offer quiet retreat days.
service of dedication of the church of St. Peter as the memorial church to the RAF 100 (Bomber Support) Group
About 250 people gathered in St Peter’s church to witness its dedication by Bishop Graham as a memorial church to the RAF 100 (Bomber Support) Group.
RAF Swannington was one of the Norfolk airfields used by the RAF 100 Group in the latter part of the Second World War. A perimeter track of the former airfield passes close to the church of St. Peter, which is a significant place for the people who treasure the memories of those who served at the base.
In the service, accompanied by the Aylsham Band, the packed church heard memoirs read by family members of those who had served with the 100 Group, and Bishop Graham led an act of dedication which will be commemorated with a memorial plaque to be installed later in the year.
After the service, the crowd was treated to a fly-past by a Spitfire; part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Use the button below to read a full report about the service:
Haveringland is presented with Bronze Eco Church Award
Bishop Graham Usher presented the members of St. Peter’s Church with their Bronze Eco Church Certificate on Sunday 21st May. See the full details here.
Earth Day 2023
Earth Day was celebrated at Haveringland Church on Saturday 22nd April with a “fun for all” event. There were lots of displays inside and outside the church as well as a series of presentations and discussions all themed on ways to help restore the planet.
Jointly hosted with Norfolk Green Care Network two important projects were launched at the event:
- First Nature is a Norfolk-wide campaign to expand nature connection opportunities for children and youngsters who have seen some of the worst impacts of the pandemic.
- Living Landscape is our local attempt to help improve the range of plants, animals and insects we have in the local landscape
Visitors were able to go pond dipping, look at Roman artefacts, learn about bats and vote for the best “Earth Day” poster drawn by pupils at Cawston Primary Academy. And of course, there was a also selection of our renowned refreshments!
Haveringland Chronicles 