Wellow: St Margaret

Wellow is a thriving village with a population of nearly 3,500.  There is a good range of shops, a primary school, many village societies, and two sports grounds. There are bus links to Southampton, Salisbury and Romsey. Part of the parish sits in the New Forest National Park and it is a popular area for dog walkers and horse riders.

St Margaret’s Church, in East Wellow, established in 1215, the year of the signing of Magna Carta, has been a place of worship and pilgrimage for over 800 years.  It is a Grade 1 listed building and is famed not just for its medieval wall paintings but also as the burial place of Florence Nightingale. Embley Park (now a private school, for 2-18yr olds) is the former family home of Florence Nightingale. The Florence Nightingale link attracts many visitors from all over the world. The annual celebration of Florence Nightingale’s birthday honouring her Christian life and service is held at St Margaret’s each May and is attended by military and civilian nursing groups.  The church has an excellent organ and small but committed choir. We maintain a conventional pattern of services with a regular Holy Communion each Sunday. Each year special services include All Souls, a Community Carol Service and seasonal festival services supplementing the traditional pattern of Anglican worship in the parish.

St Margaret’s is an active church members of the congregation are involved in many village societies including the village Monday Lunch club in the village hall, the HELP group, (providing transport for medical visits). There is an active Church Flower Group which organises occasional Flower Festivals. St Margaret’s itself organises Lunches every Tuesday and Coffee and Chat each Thursday morning in the relatively modern church rooms close to the church, as part of the church’s service to the community.