Published: 13/10/2026
Updated: 14/10/2026
‘Just play Bach’ was the advice Ben Maton, better known as The Salisbury Organist, received as an organ student. Years later, Bach’s genius transformed Ben’s visit to St Mary of the Angels’ in Brownshill.
St Mary of the Angels in Brownshill is unlike any other church in our care. Built during the interwar period, it is the only 20th-century church adopted by the Friends and one of two Roman Catholic chapels in our collection. Overlooking the Golden Valley, the building was born out of two women's suffering and hope.
The chapel was created by Bertha Kessler and Katherine Hudson, whose war experience led them to seek refuge in Brownshill and establish a Catholic community surrounded by the hills of the Golden Valley.
Designed by celebrated ecclesiastical architect W D Caröe and filled with stained glass by Scottish artist Douglas Strachan, the chapel could be interpreted as a testament to beauty created against the cruelty of war. Modest in scale, the building's rich artistic language references work from the Arts and Crafts movement across the Cotswolds, Scandinavia, and Mediterranean Cyprus.
The church came into the Friends of Friendless Churches' care in 2011, and across 2025, we carried out essential repair work to secure the future of this 99-year-old Grade II-listed chapel. Our work was made possible by the generosity of our members, donors, and legacy supporters, allowing us to give St Mary of the Angels a much-needed refresh (as well as a new electrical system), securing the church's future for the next hundred years.
Following the repairs, St Mary of the Angels' church is now open daily and has recently been visited by The Salisbury Organist who transformed the interior with his performance of Bach's Prelude in C Major arranged for the analogue modeling synthesizer. Describing the chapel as a celestial site, join Ben on his journey across music and time.
