Church matters

The benefice of the Piddle Valley, Cheselbourne, Hilton and Melcombe Horsey lies in the heart of rural Dorset.

It comprises the parishes of Alton Pancras, Cheselbourne, Hilton, Melcombe Horsey, Piddlehinton and Piddletrenthide. Included in these parishes are the communities at Ansty, Higher Ansty, Higher Melcombe, Melcombe Bingham, Muston, Plush and White Lackington.

Find out more about the parishes and service schedules at the Benefice web site.

Latest Church services

With the departure of The Very Revd. Stephen Waine in June 2026, we are awaiting new service plans for the three Piddle Valley churches.

St Mary’s Church, Piddlehinton:

Every second Sunday of each month there will be a service of Morning Prayer at 11:00am.

Every third Sunday of each month there will be a Eucharist Service at 11:00am.

Contact Andrew Rennison. Tel 07565 426208. Email pccpiddlehinton@gmail.com

All Saints Church, Piddletrenthide

Every First Sunday Mattins at 11am

Every Second Sunday Holy Communion at 9:30am

Every Fourth Sunday Holy Communion at 11am

Contact: Mick Sharp. Tel 01300 348977. Email micksharp01@aol.com, or

Richard Kay. Tel 07774 143810. Email richardkay7564@gmail.com

Our former Vicar: The Very Revd.Stephen Waine

Stephen was previously the Dean of Chichester. He studied Economic and Social Studies at the University of East Anglia before training for the priesthood at Westcott House, Cambridge. After ordination, he served as Assistant Curate of St.Peter’s Collegiate Church Wolverhampton for four years, and then in 1988 became Minor Canon and Succentor of St. Paul’s Cathedral. In 1993 he moved to St Edwards Romford, one of the major town centre parishes of the Diocese of Chelmsford. He was Assistant Area Dean of Havering from 2004 until his move to Dorset in 2010 to be the Archdeacon, after which in 2015 he moved to be the Dean of Chichester Cathedral. Stephen has a particular passion for creating ‘holy spaces’ where God can be encountered and has transformed his current parish’s buildings and worship.