Patronal Festival Report - St Margaret, Burnham Norton and St Mary, Burnham Westgate

St Margaret’s, Burnham Norton, and St Mary’s Westgate, Burnham Market
Patron saints: St Margaret and the Blessed Virgin Mary
Festival dates: 20 July and 17 August 2025

Two Patronal Choral Evensongs were held this summer, the first such celebrations in some time. At St Margaret’s, around forty-five people attended a festive afternoon tea before the service, creating a warm, communal atmosphere. At St Mary’s Westgate, twenty-five people came to Evensong, a marked rise on the usual weekly attendance of about fourteen, although the planned tea was understandably set aside after a very busy village weekend.

Both services were well received and highlighted renewed local interest in marking the patronal feasts. The parish hopes to continue celebrating St Margaret’s next year and may also explore holding a Patronal Evensong for St Clement. The grant provided essential support and gave the confidence needed to reintroduce these valued traditions.