Our newest church

This week, we welcomed a new site to our national estate of historic churches. 

We are pleased to announce that grade I listed All Saints’ Church in Berrington, Shropshire has become the newest member of the CCT collection, which now numbers 358 churches across England. 

As the national charity protecting historic churches at risk, we occasionally takes on new churches through a process known as ‘vesting’. This procedure is a statutory process governed by the Church of England whereby redundant churches of high historic or architectural quality are transferred into the care of CCT. 

All Saints’ dates to the 13th century, with some later alterations and a church is referred to in Berrington in the Domesday Book of 1086 which is thought to have been on the same site. Notable features inside the church include a working clock, which is still wound daily and a rare 13th century carved oak effigy of a cross-legged knight which lies in a tomb recess in the south aisle. The font dates to the 12th century and is thought to be an upturned column capital from the nearby Roman city of Wroxeter. 

As with all new vestings, conservation and building work will need to be undertaken before the church can be opened to the public. 

CCT’s Conservation Project Manager Kathryn Moore says: ‘We are planning to start work in May which should take around six months to complete. Scaffolding will be erected to allow for a full re-roof, in addition to new rainwater goods, masonry repairs and window repairs. Internally we will be repairing the ceiling and floors and conserving the monuments including the font and knight effigy and upgrading the electrical supply and toilet facilities.’

A major priority for CCT is to engage with the local community throughout the work at the church. To express an interest and find out more about getting involved, please contact north@thecct.org.uk