Some of you may recall that I have had two failed attempts at taking photographs of St Andrew’s Church.  On my first attempt I was nearly run over by a driver who had not noticed I was walking along the country lane.

Afterwards I decided to make the short walk to St Andrew’s church in the nearby village.  It has an interesting history and it is a long time since I visited.  At one stage I was in danger of getting knocked over by an oncoming vehicle whose driver only slowed the vehicle down and came to a halt when the driver of another vehicle coming in the other direction slammed his brakes on and pulled to one side.  The first driver clearly hadn’t noticed me until then!  I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and retreated back to the ruins.  I will visit the church another day by car.

My second attempt turned out to be a rescue mission, two rooks had become trapped within the church and needed releasing. The few photographs that I took of the outside of the church whilst waiting for the rooks to leave the building were overexposed because I had inadvertently pressed a button on my camera.

The church was first mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086), though it must have existed for some time before that. The building was greatly extended in the late 12th century. The tower was built in stages and carvings incorporated into it are thought to come from the nearby Haughmond Abbey after its dissolution in 1539. Further alterations and additions were made to the structure, the latest being the present porch which dates to 1870.

The main entrance to the church is through a gateway that is formed by a pair of columns from the nearby Roman site of Wroxeter. Near to the gate is a stile that also doubles as a mounting block for horses.

*Information from the Churches Conservation Trust guide book.