Parish Church of SS Simon and Jude
The Parish Church of St Simon and St Jude in North Street is at the heart of the village community of Castlethorpe. We seek to be a focal point for worship and prayer while serving local people, providing pastoral care and holding community events for all ages. Our sister church is St James Church, Hanslope. The parishes have been joined for a thousand years.
History
The church stands in an elevated position within the confines of what was the castle. The Church was originally Anglo-Saxon, but the oldest surviving part is the north arcade with its circular column dating from the late 12th century. Much of it was rebuilt in about 1350. Within the Church there is a large memorial to the Tyrrill family and the gravestone of Sir Francis Drake’s grandson.
Our Recent Renovation
We are delighted that, thanks to everyone who donated or contributed to our many fund-raising events, plus several grants, we have raised the £265,260 we needed to transform our lovely medieval church into a welcoming, light, warm and functional building. We have installed running water and a kitchen for refreshments, built a toilet with disabled access and baby changing unit, put in a heating system and energy efficient lighting, and completely redecorated. These improvements now enable the Church to be used for more activities that benefit the whole community, Our internal monument to Sir Thomas Tyrrill, who died in 1671, has also been restored. You can find out more about our Church, including including details of our services and activities such as Little Lambs, regular coffee mornings and monthly Soup and a Roll, at castlethorpechurch.org. A monthly diary for the two churches lists everything that is happening. The church is open from 9am to 3pm daily for anyone who would like to visit, perhaps to sit quietly in the peaceful surroundings or to look at the medieval architecture.
Further Information
You can find out more information at https://castlethorpechurch.org/
Hanslope Methodist Church
24 High Street, Hanslope, Milton Keynes MK19 7LQ Phone: 01908 614411 Contact Rev Nicola Martyn-Beck nicola.martyn-beck@methodist.org.uk mkmethodist.org.uk/hanslope-methodist-church/
Hanslope Gospel Hall
41 Gold Street, Hanslope, Milton Keynes MK19 7LU Phone: 01908 317095 www.hanslopegospelhall.org.uk
Roman Catholic Churches
St Francis de Sale
Radcliffe Street,Wolverton, MK12 5LJ Phone: 07927 650264 https://www.stfrancisandmary.org/
St Mary Magdalene
105 High Street, Stony Stratford, MK11 1AT Phone 01908 613162 www.stfrancisandmary.org/
Our Lady Help of Christians & St Lawrence
West Street, Olney MK46 5HH Phone 01234 711212 www.ourladysolney.co.uk/