THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND PARISH CHURCH OF TAPLOW, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Welcome to the Church of St. Nicolas Taplow. You will find here all the information about our church, it's history and what we do. Click on the menu bar above for the main pages and then click sub-headings on the pop-up menus. Click on the links below for information on this page. To return to the top click any of the sub-headings within the page.
ON THIS PAGE
1 Our Location : quick visual guide to where we are.
2 About our church : outline information about the church & its history. (1,2)
3 Welcome to St. Nicolas : about us and what we do. (3,4,5,6)
4 Further information and Help : using and finding more information on this site. (7,8)
5 Finding Us : detailed location maps and directions.
SITE HOME
It is about a mile from where the A4 crosses the River Thames at Maidenhead bridge. Taplow railway station, which is about 3/4 of a mile from the village, is on the Western Region route from Paddington.The village is now purely residential, the few original shops having been converted to dwellings. One house in the High Street however retains its shop frontage and the post box still stands outside the old Post Office in Rectory Road. The remaining “public” buildings, the Oak and Saw pub, St Nicolas Church of England village school and the Church surround the large green in the heart of the village. There are many historic buildings some dating from the 14th century.
There is a free car park on the north side of the green next to the village hall. The vehicular entrance, which also serves the school, is off Rectory Road on the west side of the green. The village is very busy and the car park full when school starts at 8.30am - 9.00am and finishes at 3.00pm - 3.30pm. On Sundays however there is plenty of parking space.
For more on the history of the church in Taplow go to the HISTORY page and for photo's of the church and villiage go to the GALLERY page.
That church was pulled down in the 1820s and a new church built on the present site in the village a few years later. In 1865, the chancel was added at the east end; then in 1911/12 the rest of the church was substantially rebuilt with the copper spire added to the tower. The site of the original church is still accessible, in the grounds of Taplow Court, where a cross and some grave stones remain. Also on this site is a Saxon burial mound where a rich horde of artefacts was excavated, now in the British Museum. Close to the original site is Bapsey Pool where Birinus, Bishop of Dorchester, baptised converts in the year 635. Our normal Sunday service, at 10.30am, is sung communion from the Book of Common Worship, however on the fourth Sunday of the month we have Mattins. See BELOW for more on our services or go to the SERVICES page.
On average the main service attracts about 80-90 people, we have a pipe organ and regular choir of about 20. During the service a SUNDAY SCHOOL for young children is held in the vestry. Please join us after the service for fresh coffee.
NEW TO TAPLOW?
If you are new to the area, or visiting, please tell one of the Sidesmen or Churchwardens, who will be by the entrance when you arrive and they will be happy to welcome and assist you. We usually use the south entrance which has a couple of steps but there is level access via the west door if you need it. Speek to someone so that we can unlock the door and look after you.
We welcome all people who normally take communion, in any Christian denomination, to join us and receive at the altar rail. For those who are not confirmed we encourage you to come forward for a blessing (please keep you head bowed so that we can identify you). If you are unable to come to the high altar and would like to take communion please let a Sidesman or Churchwarden know before the service starts, so that we can come down and administer to you.
We welcome all newcomers and visitors to stay after the service for coffee and a chat, please join us.
5
(for times and more information see the SERVICES page).
At St.Nicolas we try to keep a balance of traditional and modern services. Although most services now come from the book of Common Worship (C.W.) (introduced in 2001) we generally use a service based on the Book of Common Prayer 1662 (B.C.P.) for our (said) 8.00am worship and the more modern C.W. Service for (sung) 10.30am (similar to the Alternative Service Book which the C.W. replaces). However we still use the B.C.P on the 4th Sunday of the month at 10.30am for Mattins (Morning Prayer). The Family Service at 10.30am on the fourth Sunday was introduced recently to provide a very informal introduction to church going, mainly for the young with their parents. This service is held in St Nicolas' School (across the green from the church) whilst the Mattins service takes place at the same time in church.
We try to maintain a quiet and dignified atmosphere to our worship. The robed Choir and organist attend all 10.30am and Choral Evensong services and all officients are robed.
OUR PURPOSE
To Provide a gathering point for Christian worship
To Provide Christian teaching and education
To Develop a community identity
To Organise financial giving and opportunities for giving of our individual talents to the service of others
To Reach out to others in our communities
To Foster friendships
To Support each other
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©Copyright 2009 St Nicolas Church Taplow
©Web site by KEITH THOMAS
©Photography KEITH THOMAS
SERVICES - if you require information about our services you will find it on the SERVICES page. Please note that the fourth Sunday of the month has Mattins at the normal time of 10.30am, in church and at the same time a family service is held in the School. Also on this Sunday we have an early morning Communion service at 8.00am.
For information of special events and other general news go to the NEWS page. For those of you interested in getting married at St. Nicolas visit the WEDDING page and if you would like to find out about Baptisms and Confirmation the BAPTISM page. The CONTACT page has all the information about whos-who and how to contact them. If you need directions to St Nicolas click HERE. For history of the church and the Christian presence in Taplow see the HISTORY page and for pictures of the church and the village the GALLERY page.
Taplow lies about twenty five miles from the West-End of London by road and Taplow railway station is about twenty three miles from Paddington Station on the Western Region main line. From the west we are about fifteen miles from Reading.
The nearest motorway routes are, from the east - the M4 to the south (about three miles from junction 7, Slough West) and the M40 from the north (about five miles from junction 2, Beaconsfield/Slough or the same distance from junction 3, High Wycombe). Note that junction 3 of the M40 is limited access - entry and exit to and from the East (London) only. From the west - the M4 to the south (it's advisable to still use junction 7, Slough West as Junction 8/9 involves more conjestion through Maidenhead) and from the north, M40 junction 4, High Wycombe/Maidenhead (about seven and a half miles).
Taplow village lies about a mile north of the A4, London to Bath road and about three quarters of a mile north of Taplow Station.
LOCAL AREA MAP
Showing Taplow and surrounding area, towns and main villages, railway stations in red, road and rail network, road numbers and motorway junction numbers.
Map showing St Nicolas Taplow location relative to the M4 and A4 - Maidenhead to the West and Slough to the East