The History of St Martins Church

St Martin’s Church Holt is a truly historic place of worship, set in the heart of the beautiful Worcestershire
countryside. Amongst St Martin’s neighbours are the equally historic Holt Castle and Britain’s longest river, The
Severn.

St Martin was the 4th century Bishop of Tours, whose patronal festival is celebrated each year at Martinmas on
November 11th.
There has been a settlement at Holt since Saxon times, when a village grew up around the church and castle.
Unfortunately, nothing remains of the original buildings, which were made of perishable materials, nor are there
precise dates to confirm when the original church was built. However, it is believed that work commenced
shortly after the Norman conquest of 1066 when the manor of Holt was granted to Urso D’Abitot who built the
castle.

Several great families have ruled over the church and estates, the Beauchamps following on from D’Abitot and
others such as the Bromleys, the Foleys and the Wards have all left their mark.
Holt with its church and castle, once the centre of village life, has now become a separate hamlet. The building
of the bridge at nearby Holt Fleet by Thomas Telford resulted in a population shift to present day Holt Heath.
The tower is considered the oldest part of the church dating from the late 11thor early 12th century. The staircase
to the belfry dates from the 14th century. The font could be dated as early as 1120 - 1130 and is an excellent
example of Norman sculpture, as is the Nave.
The churchyard is a truly tranquil place with a variety of flora and fauna thanks to the land remaining unspoilt
and uncultivated.

There is much more to St Martin’s and visitors to this historic church can pick up a guide within the church that
contains fascinating information about St Martin’s and its grounds.
With the shift in the population centre toward Holt Heath, St Martin’s no longer enjoys the same usage as in its
heyday. However, working alongside West Worcester Beacon, a cluster of churches in the Diocese of
Worcester, a group of volunteers are doing all they can to ensure this important part of our history is preserved
for future generations.

The friends of The Church of St Martin’s of Holt was formed for just this very reason - to help preserve both the
fabric of the church and encourage its continuing use to benefit the surrounding community.
Recent fundraising and donations have allowed for urgent repairs totalling some £7,000 to be carried out to the
windows of St Martin’s but there are still many works needed to ensure that future generations have more than
just a history book to remember the church by. Indeed, an additional £24,000 needs to be raised as soon as
possible to allow for other urgent repairs to be completed – full details of the necessary ongoing works can be
found in the attached documents.

Visitors are always welcome at St Martin’s and sitting aside the Worcestershire Way footpath, it makes a
worthwhile and interesting detour for anyone walking this route.

If you would like to make a donation toward the life, ministry and upkeep of this special piece of our local
history these can be made by bank transfer to:
Holt Parochial Church Council
Sort code: 55-81-36
Account: 05513235

Similarly, if you feel you can help with the upkeep of St Martin’s please contact:

Reverend Kalantha Lewis or Reverend Paul Wilcox