The Church of St Matthew
Twigworth Parish Church was consecrated in 1844, is dedicated to St Matthew.
Sadly, the Church of St Matthew has been closed for a couple of years now, as on Sunday December 15th 2019 Bishop Robert and the Benefice clergy presided over a service at St Matthews to mark its closure, it is now currently on the market to be sold by the Church Commissioners.
It was closed due to the building being in a bad state of repair.
Although the church has been closed, the churchyard remains open and is maintained by the Seven Towers Benefice. The parish boundaries of neighbouring parishes have been redrawn to take in parts of the old parish of Twigworth with Longford.
The award winning churchyard has a garden of remembrance and some travellers’ memorials.
Nearest Churches
Ivor Gurney
The war poet and composer Ivor Gurney is buried in the St Matthew churchyard (1890 – 1937).
Next to Ivor Gurney’s grave is that of Michael Howells, son of the composer Herbert Howells who died in 1935 of polio aged nine.
Howells later wrote a hymn tune entitled Twigworth for the hymn “God is love, let heaven adore him”, one of two hymn tunes he composed in memory of his son (the other being Michael — “All my hope on God is founded”).
Twigworth War Memorial
The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever, with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was erected at Twigworth, within the churchyard of the mid-C19 Church of St Matthew, to commemorate the 15 local men who lost their lives during the First World War.
Twigworth War Memorial sits in the churchyard of the Church of St Matthew and is listed as a Grade II monument for its architectural interest, as a well-executed and finely-detailed commemorative structure in the form of a calvary cross; its historic interest, as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts.
It was carved by sculptor Arthur Frith of Gloucester, and the dedication ceremony by the Bishop of Gloucester took place on Sunday 19 September 1920.
Following the Second World War further inscriptions were added to the war memorial.
Remembrance Ceremony 2025
Please click on image below to read more:
Video Tribute
Twigworth Remembrance Ceremonies
WW1 – We Will Remember Them
In memory of the men of this parish who gave their lives for their country during the Great War 1914-1918.
Edwin Cake and John Clifford both from this parish, died on the same day 23 July 1916, this was at the Battle of the Somme.
WW2 – We Will Remember Them
In memory of the men of this parish who gave their lives for their country during WW2 1939-1945.
Other serviceman men are commemorated in the churchyard.
Ernest Aubry Kemp was the father of Frederick Ernest Kemp who both served and lost their lives in WW1 and WW2… Frederick would have been 2-years old when his father died.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
Twigworth Parish Council Gloucestershire 