Above photo - Visit to Debden Church

Dates for 2026:

10 April

8 May

12 June

10 July

14 August

11 September

9 October

About Exploring Churches

If you’re interested in history, art or architecture, then this may be the group for you!

East Anglia has a wealth of wonderful medieval churches – large and small. They provide a fascinating insight into the lives of our ancestors. Of course, there are more modern churches too, and over time some of these will be visited too.

Each month from April to October, we visit two churches on the second Friday morning of the month. The churches are no more than one hour’s drive from Saffron Walden (and usually much nearer). Participants will need their own transport as some churches are in remote rural locations. Car-sharing and lifts are encourged but participants must organise these themselves.

The first visit will be at 10.30am, then we will drive to the second church (which will be in roughly the same geographical area). The length of visits will depend partly on the size of the church and the number of interesting features, partly on the participants’ interest in the church, and partly on the weather!

Churches can be very cold, which is why there will be no visits from November to March. Please remember that church floors can often be uneven and there may be steps in some places. If you have any special access requirements please let the group leader know.

The group leader provides a brief written introduction to each church which will be emailed in advance, but visits are self-guided. Occasionally we may have a talk from someone at a church.

The Exploring Churches Group continues to thrive, with over 50 members on our mailing list, although the average attendance at our monthly visits is 20 members. In 2025 we enjoyed visiting more beautiful churches around the area, including Lavenham, Granchester, Elsenham and Willingham.