Deanery of Calcewaithe and Candleshoe


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The Alford Group of Parishes is part of the Deanery of Calcewaithe & Candleshoe (pronounced Candles-hoe) which stretches down the East Coast from Mablethorpe in the north, compassing the coastal strip including Sutton-on-Sea, Chapel St. Leonards, Ingoldmells and Skegness. Inland it includes the towns of Wainfleet, Burgh-Le-Marsh and Alford, together with several small communities. A large part of the Deanery serves the holidaymakers who flock to the area especially during the summer season. Other parts, especially around Alford, include areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and adjoin the Lincolnshire Wolds.

There are 34 Anglican places of worship served at the moment by eight Stipendiary Clergy, six Readers and several local ministers. The Rural Dean, Father Terry Steele, is in charge of group worship for the Alford Group of Parishes during the current interregnum.

Much of the Deanery, especially on the East Coast, is seen as a retirement area. People who have enjoyed holidays here often come back to retire. There is a Cottage Hospital in Skegness and larger hospitals at Boston, Grimsby, Lincoln and Louth. People from our Deanery can find themselves in any of these hospitals. As might be expected from a retirement area, funeral ministry is a big issue. The nearest Crematorium currently is in Boston or Grimsby (from Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea), and one funeral can take up most of the morning or afternoon. The clergy and readers are trying to work more collaboratively so that one particular person is not "snowed under” with funerals while others have relatively few.

A new crematorium is being built in Alford. It should open in November 2007.

The Deanery