St Andrew’s Church, Burnham celebrates its historic angels 200 year anniversary

A group of angel statues with links to kings, queens, Sir Christopher Wren and Westminster Abbey are being celebrated by a Somerset church community, two centuries after they first arrived in Somerset. This year marks 200 years since the spectacular 17th-century angel carvings arrived in St Andrew’s Church, Burnham-on-Sea, and the church is using their extraordinary story to bring the whole community together.

The angels once formed part of a magnificent altarpiece created for King James II for the chapel at Whitehall Palace. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren and carved by celebrated craftsmen including Grinling Gibbons, the altarpiece has had a spectacular history before it even arrived in Burnham.

It survived political upheaval, dismantling and even the destruction of Whitehall Palace by fire and later spent around 100 years at Westminster Abbey before being dismantled once again and the angels brought to St Andrew’s in 1826 thanks to Walker King, who was Bishop of Rochester and Vicar of Burnham.

Two centuries later, the angels are being celebrated once again, inspiring a new chapter of mission and creativity at St Andrew’s. A whole host of events has been planned to mark this special occasion, from a rededication service to a community knitting project creating hundreds of angels. There have also been children’s summer activities, and the preparation of a special prayer installation.

Revd Cheryl Hawkins, Vicar Burnham on Sea Benefice, says, “This anniversary has given us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the story of the St Andrew’s angels and to share it with others. “We hope it will encourage people to step inside our lovely church, perhaps for the first time, and discover all that the church has to offer; it’s history and beautiful surroundings, our spaces for prayer and reflection, and to experience the warm welcome from the people who are part of St Andrew’s Church community today.”

Scores of knitted angels have been made by members of the church. Some have been illuminated and placed along the church balcony. And there are plans to use the knitted angels during Advent when they will be placed around the parish with prayer cards for people to discover.

Throughout the summer children and families have also been exploring Burnham using a specially created summer Angel Trail. Angels hidden in shop windows provide letters which eventually spell ‘Gabriel’, with the final clue deliberately bringing families through the doors of St Andrew’s to discover the historic carvings themselves.

In June St Andrew`s historian, Frances Farr-Cox also gave talk on the history of the Church inlcuding the Angels, which was followed by a cream tea and music. It allowed the Church again to be open, to share it`s history and also raise church funds.

Meanwhile, a new prayer installation planned for inside the church will invite visitors to write prayers or messages on angel wings and add them to a growing display beneath the church balcony.

The main celebration of the year takes place on Sunday 27 September, close to the Feast of St Michael and All Angels when a rededication and blessing of the historic angels is planned.

Community groups have been invited to take part, while local schools are being encouraged to join the celebrations by creating by angel-inspired artwork and music. Angels are God’s messengers, signs of hope reassurance and His presence among us. Two hundred years on, the St Andrew’s angels are still carrying that message, encouraging reflection, prayer and conversations about the faith they were created to represent.

Find out more about the history of the angels, where they came from and how they ended up in Somerset.