St Alkmunds Church
Description
St Alkmund’s is the only remaining open Anglican Church in the historic heart of Shrewsbury.
St Alkmund’s is the only remaining open Anglican Church in the historic heart of Shrewsbury.
St. Alkmund’s Church was founded in the 10th century, possibly by Aethefleda, daughter of King Alfred. She claimed descent from Alkmund, a Northumbrian prince murdered circ AD 800 near Derby.
Of the mediaeval church only the tower and spire remain, dating from circa 1475 and forming part of Shrewsbury’s remarkable hilltop skyline.
Old St. Alkmund’s was demolished in the early 1790s, a victim of the panic that gripped Shrewsbury following the collapse of old St. Chad’s in 1788. The new St. Alkmund’s was at the cutting edge of the new technology of its day, having thirteen large windows framed in cast iron made at Coalbrookdate in the Ironbridge Gorge in east Shropshire. Of these windows only four survive, the remainder having been replaced by stone-traceried windows in a late 19th century re-working.
The chief ornament of the church is the east window with its cast iron frame filled with painted glass by Francis Eginton of Birmingham. Installed in October 1795 at a cost of 210 guineas, this window is a rare survival of Eginton’s work, the design being based on a painting by Guido Reni (1642) now in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
In the last ten years much repair work has been carried out in the church with generous support from English Heritage, the Georgian Group, Shropshire Historic Churches Trust and other charitable donors including the Friends of St. Alkmund’s.
St. Alkmund’s provides a tranquil haven in the historic centre of Shrewsbury and the doors are open every day from 9.30am to 5.00pm. There are regular church services (see below). The acoustics are excellent and the organ (on long loan from the Royal School of Church Music) is available for tuition in organ playing through the Sam Baker School of Music based in the church.
Sunday Eucharist at 10.00am
Thursday Eucharist at 10.30am
Weddings and funerals are conducted when required, as are Baptisms and other sacraments. The resident priest conducts a ministry of one-to-one Spiritual Accompaniment at the church by prior arrangement (Tel 01743 244668).
St. Alkmund’s is also the spiritual home of the Shropshire Army Cadet Force.
The church is available for hire for concerts, drama, lectures and conferences. It is not licensed for alcohol or amplified music. Currently the charges are £75, this includes use of the kitchen and car park, per letting. Telephone 01743 244668 or 01743 353424 for further information.
2012 is the 1100th anniversary of St Alkmunds and a varied and interesting programme of events has been created to celebrate the occasion. Full details can be found on our website but highlights include:
Events at St. Alkmund’s, July-December 2012
August 5th to 11th (Sunday to Saturday 10.00 to 17.00): Flower Festival Celebrating the Saints of August
September 8th (Saturday 10.30): Part of Shrewsbury Heritage Open Day
Morning talks at St Alkmund’s, Georgian Group and English Heritage Speakers
September 30th (Sunday, 10.00) Harvest Festival
October 6th (Saturday, 19.30): Concert – Shropshire Chamber Orchestra
October 11th (Thursday, 19.30): Tenth Century Shrewsbury
Nigel Baker (Expert on Shrewsbury Archaeology and Author)
October 19th (Friday, 20:00): BBC Radio 4 – Any Questions
Live from St Alkmunds – Admission by ticket.
October 25th (Thursday, 19.30): St Alkmund’s—A Treasure of Shrewsbury
Andrew Arrol (Architect)
December 2nd (Sunday, 10.00) Holy Eucharist led by Archdeacon Paul Thomas
December 17th (Monday, 18.00) Town Centre Carol Service – a celebration of Christmas for everybody who lives and works in the centre of Shrewsbury. All are welcome to join with us in St Alkmunds for carols and mince pies.
Why not follow us on Twitter for updates and reminders?
Gallery
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Opening Times
1st January - 31st December
Monday to Friday: 9am - 5.30pm
Sunday 9.30am - 4pm
Bank Holidays 9am - 5pm
Accessibility
Note: Establishments may self assess themselves for accessibility. You are strongly advised to check directly with operators if you have specific access and mobility requirements.
Directions
From the town centre, St Alkmund's Church can be approached from Fish Street, Butcher Row and Church Street.
Disclaimer
The details displayed on this page are correct at the time of publication however, Shropshire Tourism would like to advise all visitors to check prices & opening times with the venue prior to traveling in case of changes that might have occured since the publication of this page. Whilst Shropshire Tourism endeavours to ensure that the information on this site is correct, no warranty, express or implied, is given as to its accuracy and Shropshire Tourism does not accept any liability for error or omission. The directions above are for planning purposes only and should be used alongside a general roadmap or satnav system. Variables such as road/construction works, traffic, weather conditions etc may cause alterations to the route.
More Information
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