Welcome to
St. Michael and All Angels
Withyham
with All Saints Blackham
Welcome to Withyham and Blackham Churches!
As the local Church of England Parish Church, we seek to worship God and make Jesus known, helping Christians to grow in knowledge and love of God and lead Christ-like lives. We aim to serve both the people of this parish and those from further afield who choose to join us, whether it be for one of our services or for another Church event. Offering mainly traditional Anglican services of worship, we also provide less formal services in Church and on Zoom for younger families and those who prefer that.
We are situated in the beautiful High Weald, right on the edge of the historic Ashdown Forest: A.A. Milne’s Hundred Acre Wood is in the Parish although Winnie-the-Pooh spent most of his time in the neighbouring parish of Hartfield where the author lived. We are only three miles from the Kent border and five miles from Crowborough. The southern part of the Parish is part of the historic Buckhurst Estate, home of the Sackville family since 1200.
Blessed with the beautiful, Grade One listed, St. Michael and All Angels Church, Withyham together with early Twentieth Century All Saints Church, Blackham, we form part of the Rotherfield Deanery. Rotherfield Deanery stretches from Coleman’s Hatch in the West to Flimwell in East, including Crowborough and this sits within the Diocese of Chichester which covers almost all of Sussex, both East and West.
A warm welcome awaits from James Campbell, the Rector, along with his wife Mary and our friendly congregation.
Withyham Church is normally open every day from 9.00am – 7.00pm with parking available on site.
The Rector
The Rector
James Campbell
James Campbell became the Rector in July 2016 and moved with his family, dogs, hens and ducks to The Rectory, beside Withyham Church. He is supported by his wife, Mary, who is involved in church life and local activities.
Before moving to Sussex, James spent eight years in Wiltshire working in five parishes near Devizes, 13 years on the Hampshire/Surrey border in two parishes near Alton and before that, as a rural curate in four parishes on the Norfolk/Suffolk border near Diss.
James was ordained in Norwich Cathedral in 1991 after making a career change from his role as a Chartered Surveyor/Land Agent in the West End.
The Rectory
This fine Grade 2 building stands close to Withyham Church. It is older than its Georgian façade suggests, partly dating from Tudor times. It has been the home of the Rectors of Withyham since at least the Sixteenth Century. Much of the building’s present appearance is due to Sackville Spencer Bale and Sackville Stevens Bale, father and son clergymen, who together were the Rectors for an astonishing 87 years 1749-1836. The striking veranda and canopy were probably added in the 1790s. The sitting room has ancient linen-fold panelling which came from Brambletye Castle near Forest Row.
The house was sub-divided in different ways throughout the Twentieth Century. Since the early 1960s, the Rectory Wing has been a separate dwelling.
Adjoining The Rectory is The Monks House which dates from pre-Reformation times when Withyham was a cell of the Norman Priory of Morteyn. All the neighbouring buildings formed part of The Rectory until the 1960s.
