Welcome
Due to the Covid-19 emergency, the Abbey Church is closed and no services are currently taking place. Our Services page has more details and resources that you can use at home.
We can, however, open the Abbey Church for:
- Private prayer (see the Services page for details).
- Baptisms and funerals with a limited number of attendees. These can be arranged with the Parish Office.
In all cases, strict social distancing must be observed and face coverings must be worn.
Unfortunately, we cannot welcome tourists.
We welcome you to the parish community of Waltham Abbey. We hope that you enjoy
your visit to our website. Do share with us your views, hopes and concerns. You
will discover a vibrant parish that tries to respond to the needs of others and
to be of service to the local community. We are by no means perfect, but we do
try to live and proclaim the Gospel message of Jesus Christ who is the Way, the
Truth and the Life.
The parish of Waltham Abbey is part of the benefice of Waltham Holy Cross (which is itself part of the Deanery of Epping Forest and Ongar Deanery of the Diocese of Chelmsford). There are four Church of England churches within the benefice.
- The Abbey Church, which is the church of Holy Cross and St. Lawrence and is the parish church of Waltham Abbey.
- St. Lawrence Church, Ninefields, which is a district church within the parish of Waltham Abbey.
- St. Thomas Church, the parish church of Upshire.
- Holy Innocents Church, the parish church of High Beach.
We are committed to Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults. The PCC has adopted the Church of England’s policies and best practice on safeguarding which may be found on the Church of England website and also on the Diocese of Chelmsford website. Our Safeguarding Officer can be contacted via the Parish Office. Epping Forest District Council also has a safeguarding policy.
