St Martin’s Church Acrise offers traditional Anglican worship with a broad mix ministry team.
St Martin’s is an ancient church building set within the boundary of Acrise Place. Dating back nearly a thousand years, St Martin’s continues to retain the simplicity and atmosphere of its original early Norman construction. Comprised of a nave and chancel, topped by massive wooden tie beams and king posts, it lies quietly hidden from the road and is approached through an avenue of trees.
Acrise owes its name to the abundance of oaks that grew on the high ground in the area namely ‘oak rise’ in medieval English. There are still many old oak trees to be found within the parish, which even today has only a small population of around two hundred people. Listed in the Domesday Book (1086) as being held by Ansketel of Rots from Bishop Odo of Bayeaux, it comprised one manor, woodland and a church.
St Martin’s was probably built by Ansketel shortly after the Domesday entry and replaced an earlier Saxon church. Whilst much of the work is now hidden by later 14th century alterations, parts of original windows and priest’s door remain testimony to the early Norman origin. (Adapted from the ‘Friends of St Martin’s)
St Martins is a beautiful place, a place of quiet and tranquillity in an ever changing world. It is a beautiful place to worship, be married, christened or confirmed. It is a place where the veil is thin between heaven and earth.
Please visit us to worship or just to be close to God in whatever way you find God. You will find a big welcome from our regulars.
Our Mission
• To spread the good news of the Gospel to all.
• To offer fellowship to an isolated rural community of all ages.
• To welcome all ages to come to know God.
• To offer a consecrated location for weddings, funerals and baptisms.
• To offer a place of worship to those who feel drawn to the Book of Common Prayer as their main worship style.
Being a hamlet Acrise has a very small community. However, the congregation of St Martin’s at Acrise is drawn from a very wide area, with people travelling from Hawkinge, Swingfield, Denton, Folkestone, Alkham, Capel-le-Ferne and many parts of the Elham valley to seek the style of worship and friendly welcoming congregation at this church.
Our mission is inclusively to spread the Good News far and wide, supporting all ages by offering a traditional service and fellowship.
Current Pattern of Services - See The WORD & Services section for current services
St Martin’s, Acrise holds Holy Communion, led by Priests, along with Matins services, led by Lay Readers, and also occasional Fellowship services and some ‘special services’ led by an Authorised Lay Minister (ALM) or Parochial Church Council (PCC) member.
All our Services, including special festivals, such as Christmas Day, Easter Sunday and Mothering Sunday are held at 09:30. With occasional “specials” in the afternoon; examples of these would be Taize services, Good Friday meditation and passion, Nine Lessons and Carols for both Advent and Christmas.
The first Sunday of the Month Holy Communion is led by the Benefice Priest in Charge, Rev'd. Jane Weeks. The second Sunday is Matins, the third Sunday is a Fellowship service, led by one of our Lay Readers or ALMs and the fourth Sunday is a Family Service, in a 'cafe' style and suitable for all ages, adults and children alike. If a priest is not available to lead Holy Communion on the first Sunday of the month, this will be replaced by a matins service led by a lay minister.
Services usually follow the Book of Common Prayer. However alternative ‘special services’ follow other forms of worship, including; Taize, Lessons and Carols, and Hymn Sandwiches.
All ages are welcome to our services with children mixing with retired people freely, although there are no specific facilities for children due unfortunately, to lack of space.
Weddings and Baptism (christenings) may be held in the church.
Social mission and outreach
St Martin’s, Acrise has a varied social life. Including the annual Flower Festival, annual ‘Beating the Bounds’ walk, a patronal breakfast, annual cycle ride, coffee evenings/mornings, Harvest Festival and refreshments after Holy Communion.
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looking forward
Family Service: St Martin, Acrise.
Sunday 22nd May - 9.30am
This will be a special service to commemorate the 70 year reign of Queen Elizabeth 2nd. The service will have activities, prayers and readings on the theme of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the children will each be given a souvenir to take home. We will also have a display of documents and artefacts from her Coronation in 1953.
Beating the Bounds
We are planning to beat the southern part of the boundary on Rogation Sunday, 22nd May , as we haven’t walked this for the past three years. We will be meeting at the church and leaving around 10.30am. Please bring a packed lunch. Dogs welcome
Cream Tea Afternoon
at Reast Lane Gate, Acrise: Saturday 11th June 2.00 – 5.00pm. Raffle, stalls and children’s activities
Garage Sale & Raffle
at Richard’s home Harvest Way, Hawkinge running from the 2nd to 9thJuly.
St Martin's Festival
with Live Music on Saturday 6th August in the church and on the Green.
Christmas Fair
at Elham Village Hall on Saturday 3rd December,10.00am until 2.00pm.
acrise church news - may 2022
‘Gift Day’ held on 12th March: Total raised
A big ‘thank you’ to everyone who contributed to this event which raised the amazing sum of £2091.65. There will also be ‘gift aid’ to add to this amount.
Family Service on 22nd May
This will be a special service to commemorate the 70 year reign of Queen Elizabeth 2nd. The service will have activities, prayers and readings on the theme of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the children will each be given a souvenir to take home. We will also have a display of documents and artefacts from her Coronation in 1953.
Beating the Bounds: Sunday 22nd May
We now have permission from the MOD to beat the bounds of the southern part of the parish boundary which is mainly within the training area for troops. This is the first time we have been able to beat this part of the parish boundary for three years.
We will leave church around 10.30am and should complete the walk and be back at the church about mid-afternoon. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear and bring a packed lunch. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on their lead. We must keep away from livestock and any troops in the training area.
Shepway Foodbank
Many thanks for the donations which were delivered to the local collection point last week. Please continue to support the foodbank with donations of food, toiletries and basic household items as the number of families and individuals in need continues to increase.
Most urgently needed items are now: spreads, children’s toothbrushes, instant coffee, household cleaner (not bleach). Next are instant mash, toilet rolls, women’s deodorant, razors.
Other items typically included in a food parcel are: cereal, pasta, pasta sauce, tinned meat, veg or fruit, tea bags, snacks.
Cream Tea Afternoon: Saturday 11thJune: 2.00 – 5.00pm
This is our next community event and will be held at Reast Lane Gate (Sue and Mike’s place). As well as the cream tea there will be a raffle and various other activities. Posters and flyers will soon be available.
The Queen’s Coronation on 2nd June 1953
The parishes of Acrise and Swingfield combined to organise the Celebrations for the Queen’s Coronation on 2nd June. Mrs Papillon of Acrise Place was President of the Coronation Committee and the Chairman was Mr MacFarlane who started MacFarlane’s Nursery in Swingfield, now Folkestone Garden Centre. The Committee had a lot to organise and many people from the two parishes were involved.
The 2nd June was extremely wet in the morning when the Coronation took place at Westminster Abbey. Few people had television at that time but those who did welcomed neighbours to view the Queen being crowned. Most people had to wait to see the film of the Coronation in local cinemas.
The Acrise and Swingfield Celebrations were held at Selsted Cricket Ground, with a shuttle bus service from the Black Horse. By 12.30 when the ground opened the rain had stopped but it was still wet underfoot. After the National Anthem and a short service, Mrs Papillon led the Opening Ceremony.
There followed a Mobile Decorated Parade with classes for: cars, vans, lorries and tractors; motor cycles; bicycles; prams and pushchairs. There was also a Fancy Dress Parade for different age groups with generous prizes for that time: fifteen shillings for first prize, ten shillings for second and five shillings for third.
From 3.30 onwards teas were served in the marquee on the cricket ground or down at Selsted School. The children’s sports events also started at that time with all the usual races, such as flat, egg and spoon, three-legged, obstacle etc. There were also races for adults. While the sports events were happening there were many entertainments to try which included bowling for the pig (there was a real pig in those days), balloon race, hidden treasure, pillow fights and tossing the sheaf.
At the end of the afternoon souvenirs were presented to the children: a mug of sweets and a Coronation Book for five year olds and under, and the Coronation Book for 6 to 15 year olds.
In the evening the celebrations continued with a music concert organised by Mrs Grabham followed by a one act play called ‘God Save the Queen’. At 8.00pm the Grand Carnival Dance began while later in the evening community singing took place around a large bonfire and fireworks were lit. At midnight the National Anthem was sung and the last bus left for the Black Horse.
The first page of the Coronation Book that was given to children.