We are marking the 700th Anniversary of the founding of our church building this year! A week of celebration is being planned between Saturday 28th June and Sunday 6th July 2025, and there will be other special services and events through the year.
We will be publishing more information here on the website and on social media as the plans take shape. Meanwhile you can find a list of planned events below – please click on the links for more details.
If you’d like to know more about our 700th celebrations, please feel free to contact us
If you would like to make a donation towards the work and upkeep of the church, you can do so via the Donate button. This will take you to the Parish Giving Scheme website.
Olney Cherry Fair
Sunday 29th June 2025
Join us for fun events, activities, foods and stalls, in the Glebe Field in front of the church
Peal of Bells
Saturday 28th June
Our 700th Anniversary celebrations will begin with a full peal of bells starting at 2pm
Church Ale
Saturday 28th June from 7pm to 10pm
We will be re-creating the old tradition of a “church ale” with a hog roast and a special commemorative ale!
Flower Festival
Sunday 29th June to Sunday 6th July
We will have a week-long flower festival in the church, with displays based on the theme of the 700th Anniversary
History Day
Saturday 5th July
We will be hosting a History Day in the church, with talks and exhibitions in the morning and afternoon
700th Anniversary Concert
Saturday evening 5th July
Join us for a concert of a cappella music spanning the last 700 years, performed by the Sheppard Singers
700th Anniversary Art Trail
As part of our celebrations, locally born artist Wayne Warren is curating a sequence of installations which will be set up both inside and outside the church building and which invite us to reflect on the history of the church. These will be introduced from the beginning of May, leading up to the celebrations at the end of June. We will be publishing a separate art trail leaflet listing all of the installations and where you can find them.
Wayne will also be producing postcards of the church for you to decorate, and limited edition versions of a couple of the art works will be available for you to buy.
300th Anniversary of John Newton’s Birth
We will also be celebrating the 300th anniversary of John Newton’s birth in early August. A programme of events is being put together by the Cowper and Newton Museum and the church – watch out for further announcements!