Coming up · Saturday 31 October
FREE BBQ, glow in the dark tattoos, candy floss, apple bobbing, lucky dip, face painting, hot chocolate, and much much more!
Church of England · Coney Hill, Gloucester
We are focused on being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus and doing what he did.
Our key values
Sundays
Our regular Sunday service runs from 10:30am until about 12 noon. It is a Holy Communion service for all ages, with worship music, prayers, a Bible reading and a talk, followed by tea, coffee and cake.
Children and families are very welcome, and gluten-free and alcohol-free communion are always available.
Worship
Some of the worship songs we’ve been singing on Sundays and enjoying through the week, from Elevation Worship, Brandon Lake, Rend Collective and more. Have a listen.
Through the week
Times can change, so check the calendar below for the latest. Hall bookings: admin@stoswaldconeyhill.com
Low-cost and free food for local people, every Thursday in the church hall. Join us for lunch from 12pm: a hot meal with dessert and a drink for a suggested £3. The free market opens at 12:30pm with fresh bread, fruit, veg and more at no cost. Our membership scheme gives members a large bag of quality groceries each week: £5 to join, then £2 a week, with every fifth week free.
We run the Alpha course regularly, a relaxed space to explore life and the Christian faith. Ask us about the next one.
Our hall holds about 60 people and has a kitchen and toilets. It is ideal for parties (small bouncy castles fit!), especially on Saturdays or during the day. Contact the office to book and for costs.
What's on
Services and events at St Oswald's.
See the full calendar (opens in a new tab) · Add it to your own calendar: Google Calendar · iCal / Outlook (.ics)
Life events
We'd love to help you mark the important moments of life. Get in touch at any time by email or phone, or call in to the church office in person on Wednesdays, 11am–12 noon.
Support our church
St Oswald's relies on the generosity of our community. You can give securely online through the Parish Giving Scheme: set up a regular gift by Direct Debit (monthly, quarterly or annually), or make a one-off gift by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Give onlineVisit us
St Oswald's is a Grade II listed building.
Our story
St Oswald's was built for a new community. Between 1931 and 1939 Gloucester Corporation built 474 council houses at Coney Hill, on land that had once been part of Barnwood parish, and many of the first families were rehoused from the crowded Westgate Street and Island districts of the city centre. A wooden mission church, served from Barnwood, opened on the estate in 1932, and Coney Hill became a parish in its own right in 1935. The vicarage on Coney Hill Road dates from the same years.
The present church was begun in 1938 and consecrated in 1939. Its foundation stone was laid on 23 July 1938, and the Diocese of Gloucester lent £10,000 interest-free to pay for a building designed to seat 475. The architect was W. E. Ellery Anderson of Cheltenham, who had trained in the office of Sir Ninian Comper. He built in pale brick with red pantiled roofs, in an Italianate "Early Christian" style: a long nave of six bays with narrow aisles and round-arched windows, a Lady Chapel beside the chancel, and the tall, campanile-like tower over the entrance. Inside, the round font with its wave motif is original, and the east window of the Lady Chapel, by Francis Stephens, was added in 1954.
The church was Grade II listed in 2000. Historic England describes it as "a spare, simple church in the Italianate style, whose lack of moulding serves to enhance the power of its large space … a work of great confidence and completeness".
Our full name is the Parish of St Oswald with St Aldate. St Aldate's, on Finlay Road, began as a timber mission church in 1928–29, paid for by the sale of the old St Aldate's church in the city centre; its permanent church was consecrated in 1964. In 2012 the parish of St Aldate was united with Coney Hill, and the St Aldate's building has since closed.
Sources: Historic England list entry 1380619 · Victoria County History: Gloucester's modern parish churches · Cheltenham Local History Society on W. E. Ellery Anderson (PDF)
Questions
Worship for Everyone is every Sunday from 10:30am until about 12 noon. It is a Holy Communion service for all ages, with worship music, prayers, a Bible reading and a talk, followed by tea, coffee and cake. Everyone is welcome.
Yes. St Oswald's is a family-friendly church and our Sunday service is for all ages. On Tuesdays, 9 to 11:30am, there is also a Stay & Play group in the church hall.
Yes. Gluten-free and alcohol-free communion are always available at our services.
There is a car park on site and a ramp at the west end of the building, nearest the car park. We have a hearing loop, large print, and songs and Common Worship in braille. Assistance dogs are welcome, and toilets and baby changing are in the church hall.
Contact the church office by email at office@stoswaldconeyhill.com or by phone on 01452 690750. You can also call in to the church office in person on Wednesdays, 11am to 12 noon. You can also read our Baptism Policy.
Yes. The hall holds about 60 people and has a kitchen and toilets, and small bouncy castles fit. It is available particularly on Saturdays or during the day. Contact the church office to book and for costs.
The Food Hub runs every Thursday in the church hall. Lunch is served from 12pm (a hot meal with dessert and a drink for a suggested £3) and the free market opens at 12:30pm. Members get a large bag of quality groceries each week: £5 to join, then £2 a week, with every fifth week free.
You can give online through the Parish Giving Scheme, either as a regular gift by Direct Debit (monthly, quarterly or annually) or as a one-off gift by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Contact our Parish Safeguarding Officer, Ruth Sammon, at pso@stoswaldconeyhill.com, or the Diocesan Safeguarding Team. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
The present church was begun in 1938 and consecrated in 1939, replacing a wooden mission church that opened in 1932. It was designed by W. E. Ellery Anderson of Cheltenham and has been Grade II listed since 2000.
Get in touch
Promoting a safer church
In line with the Church of England Safeguarding Policy, St Oswald's is committed to creating a safe and caring place for all, especially children, young people and vulnerable adults.
Parish Safeguarding Officer: Ruth Sammon · pso@stoswaldconeyhill.com
If you have a safeguarding concern, you can also contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Team. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
In accordance with the Church of England Safeguarding Policy, our church is committed to:
The Parish will:
Each person who works within this church community will agree to abide by this policy and the guidelines established by this church.
