St. Katharine’s Church

ST KATHARINE’S CHURCH

St Katharine’s is located on the ridge west of the Longleat Estate, in the village of East Woodlands.

Built between 1711 and 1714 by the Longleat Estate for the benefit of parishioners who previously had to journey into the centre of Frome for their parish church and to ‘civilise’ the people of Woodlands.

The church itself was mostly rebuilt by the architect John Loughborough Pearson in 1880. Its tile pavement includes an enlarged version of the Bishop Ken monogram tile usually found as a single four-inch or six-inch tile, but here designed for multiple tile settings.

St Katharine’s is linked with St John’s in Frome, and is part of the Anglican Diocese of Bath & Wells. The ancient parish of Frome Selwood comprised over 7000 acres of land corresponding to the present parishes of Frome St John the Baptist (founded 685), St Katharine East Woodlands (built 1714, consecrated 1811), Frome Christ Church (built 1818), Frome Holy Trinity (built 1838) and Frome St Mary the Virgin (built 1864). About 1862 the parish was divided into four districts: Frome St John the Baptist, Woodlands, Frome Christ Church and Frome Holy Trinity. The Rectory of the ancient parish belonged to Cirencester Abbey until the reformation after which it passed into the hands of the Longleat estate. Patronage of the parish was with Longleat until 1939, after which the patronage for Frome St John the Baptist and Woodlands transferred to the Diocesan Board of Patronage.

Main services
We worship regularly on the first and third Sundays of each month – usually Holy Communion on the first Sunday and morning Service on the third.
Every first and third Sunday at 11:00 AM for 1 hour