The new St Mary’s church opened on Easter Sunday 2014, and was built as part of The Coppice School’s expansion.  It was designed with both functionality and beauty in mind.  The build incorporates the church, a large new hall, a kitchen and meeting rooms, with partitions allowing flexible use throughout the week.

Getting There

Access to the church is through The Coppice’s front gates on Shawhurst Lane, B47 5JN.  Proceed straight on to the rear of the campus and it’s the last building on your left before you reach Woodrush’s football pitches. The church / Coppice parking spaces are the line against the new build whilst the other spaces in the rear car park belong to Woodrush school.

Enter through the glazed porch into the welcoming foyer where you’ll find toilets, access into the church, the church hall and the fully equipped kitchen, and a staircase to a meeting room upstairs as well as the Church Office.

Church and Hall

The church section seats around 40-50 people, laid out with altar and lectern and overlooked by the beautiful stained glass window designed by Rachel Phillips.  Whether it’s for smaller midweek gatherings, or on the times when the church is open for prayer, it’s a deeply spiritual and inspiring place set aside for connecting with God.

The church is separated from the new church hall by a moveable partition.  During the week the school accesses the hall from their side for infant activities (Noah’s Ark Toddler Group also meets there on a Friday morning), whilst outside school hours it becomes an attractive community hall, a spacious and much needed public space for community organisations to use and hire.

On Sundays and special events the partition is taken away to make a large church which seats 250-300 people.  From candlelit carols to weddings, Remembrance Day to concerts and productions, it’s an inspiring venue to be used and enjoyed by all.