User:Wroecensaetan/Sample page

St Alkmund's Church is located in the historic centre of Shrewsbury, and its 15th century tower and spire form a distinctive part of the town's skyline. One of only six churches anywhere dedicated to St. Alkmund of Derby, the present, predominantly Georgian buildings are the latest in a line of churches to have existed on this site since at least 912 A.D.. Falling within the Anglican Diocese of Lichfield, St Alkmund's remains a centre for regular worship, as part of the United Benefice of St Chad's and St Alkmund's with St Mary's. These three, together with St Julian's, comprise the four ancient churches within the walls of Shrewsbury.

Foundation and early history (912 to 1145)
There is scant evidence for the existence of a church here before the early 10th century, but the town was well established by then, even possessing its own mint. It is reasonable to suppose the existence of some place of worship nearby before Aethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great and 'Lady of the Mercians' established St Alkmund's in or around 912 A.D.. Tradition relates that the region around Derby had become too vulnerable to attack by pagan Viking raiders,and Aethelfleda's purpose was to bring the Saint's remains to a more secure home. A College of canons was established to oversee the church and much land in the area.

The church's royal patronage and central position adjacent to the "King's Market" (now part of the churchyard) assured it of a comfortable existence until the middle of the 12th century, when Richard de Belmeis, the Dean of the College at St Alkmund's, transferred much of its wealth to his new foundation of Lilleshall Abbey. It is believed that it was then that Alkmund's remains were translated once again to Derby.

The church at the heart of the town (1145 to 1795)
St Alkmund's was forced to reinvent itself as a town church in a bustling market town which was growing rich on trade in wool and woollen goods. The earliest extant part of the church is its tower and spire, completed around 1475. The main nave and chancel were supplemented by a Chantry, and Tudor stained glass in the West window bears the arms of, among others, the Bishop of Lichfield. The church acquired six bells which were eventually added to to create a peal of eight. The morning bell which roused workers in the town was sounded from St Alkmund's until St Julian's inherited that duty in the 16th century. The modern church still carries memorials to distinguished worshippers from theTudor and later eras, including Thomas Jones, the first Mayor of Shrewsbury.

In 1788 the collapse of much of the tower and walls of nearby St Chad's led to that church being rebuilt by the Quarry Park (the ruins of "Old St Chad's" remain as a warning to churchwardens everywhere). Local tradition has it that Shrewsbury's architects and builders feared a similar collapse at St Alkmund's - or at any rate persuaded the authorities that the time was right to demolish it, all but the tower. The medieval stonework proved durable, and gunpowder had to be used. A new, Georgian nave and chancel were built on the old footprint, and the spire was rebuilt. The completed church was re-opened in November, 1795, and it this building - albeit with a few modifications - that we see today.

A new era of Hope (1795 to the present)
The nave and chancel of the new building, designed and completed by local builder John Carline, were rectangular in plan and the roof - originally of plaster with stucco-work, now covered over with a more practical wooden roof - spanned the entire width of the building. The absence of internal divisions and screens added to the sense of light created by large twelve iron-framed windows in North and South, originally filled with clear glass. The dramatic East window on a design by Francis Eginton of Birmingham after Guido Reni shows the figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary looking up at the Crown of Life. Dramatically painted in enamel paints in four layers on two thicknesses of glass, this picture has an unusual colour-scheme of browns in which the gold crown and blue girdle of Mary are accentuated. The presence of the Cross and a Chalice left and right signify that Faith and Charity accompany the figure of Hope which dominates the entire church.

The iron-framed windows were produced in Coalbrookdale before the end of the 18th century, and thus formed an important part of the region's industrial history: sadly all but three were remodelled at the end of the Victorian era. One is now in the Vestry and one in the Kitchen at the West end of the church, so that the only original frame of the twelve to remain truly as it was in the body of the church is that in the North East, to the left of the altar. A few windows had stained glass inserted: in 2004 at the restoration of the church, clear, hand-blown glass was reinstated where possible. A few windows from this time bear small engraved verses from George Herbert's "My Elixir". The restoration also revealed that the East and other iron windows had been gilded, and this gilding was also restored.

The presence of boards celebrating special feats of change ringing indicate that the peal of bells was well used during parts of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. However, remodelling of the tower and rehanging of the bells was not successful, and they fell largely into disuse. In the 1990s they were sold to St Andrew's Cathedral, Honolulu where they have achieved a new life at 'the most remote change ringing venue in the world'.

St Alkmund's came close to closure in the 1970s but the efforts of a small but dedicated group of parishioners ensured that the fabric of the building was maintained and that Divine Worship continued. The church won an award for its achievement in preserving and restoring much of its Georgian heritage.

Bells and whistles
The first organ installed in the church was by Gray's of London (1825) and this was originally housed in the West gallery, before being moved to the front of the church. A second-hand organ from Burton-on-Trent replaced the original from about 1965 until 1992, when the old instrument was 'sold' on e-Bay for £0 to 'buyers' from Hungary. St Alkmund's acquired a two manual Harrison and Harrison chamber organ on semi-permanent loan from the Royal School of Church Music when it vacated its Addington Palace premises.

As well as regular services, the church is an established venue for music concerts on account of its excellent acoustics and sight-lines.

External links section
St Alkmund's church website