A Brief Tour of St Cuthbert's and things to look out for

The name of our village: Clungunford, comes from the Anglo Saxon for Gunward's Ford over the River Clun and is still sometimes called "Gunnas" by local people.

Our church was heavily restored in the 19th Century and almost appears Victorian as a result, but only the tower and porch is Victorian the rest dates from around 1300, probably on the site of an earlier wooden church. It is dedicated to St Cuthbert born in 634 who was much-loved by the Anglo Saxons.

Roger de Halberdine began the stone building in 1305 but shortly afterwards a period of poor weather, flooding, disease and heavy taxation reduced the village to near starvation, and bankrupted Halberdine. The work was finished around 1350 and probably funded by the Earl of Arundel.

Early glass and decoration was destroyed in the Reformation, but the outside changed little for six hundred years. The major renovation in 1894, was undertaken by architect Edward Turner of Leicester and funded by John Charles Leveson Rocke of Clungunford House, adding a stone tower to house the bells and the porch over the south door with its Statue of St. Cuthbert . The organ was installed in 1895 and the earlier pews were taken out and used as panelling round the walls.

In 2013 following much fundraising and some generous donations, improvement works including toilets and a servery have made it possible to use the church for a wider range of events.

 The Bells that make up our tuneful ring of six bells were cast over a span of 600 years. The oldest bell, inscribed in Latin “Sent from heaven, my name is Gabriel” was cast by the Gloucester foundry in the second half of the fourteenth century, not long after the nave was roofed. The Tenor, is also mediaeval and weighs 7½ hundredweight. It was cast by the Worcester foundry in the early fifteenth century and is inscribed “May it sound sweetly and pleasantly by the prayer of St Cuthbert”.

The churchyard is maintained with help and advice from God's Acre Group, to encourage wildlife.

Of note is the Preaching Cross, the octagonal base is possibly 15th century.

The Church Registers from 1559 onwards are available at Shrewsbury County Archive Office

Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/clungunfordchurch

A fuller account of the history is available in “Clungunford, 950 Years of a Rural Community” by Alick and Fiona Barratt Published in 2002.

What to Look out for: Numbers refer to diagram below

1. Piscina near the altar – 14th century formerly used for washing sacred vessels after communion

2. Aumbries or cupboards behind the altar in chancel east wall with rebates for doors – 14th century

3. Chancel east window, 1885 by Hardmans. Memorial to Constance Ida Thomas who died in childbirth. The lower panels show from left to right Sts John, Ambrose, Thomas and Cuthbert. Above this are 4 panels showing the birth , death and resurrection of Christ. Medieval fragments including two faces are incorporated into the upper parts

4. Chest –in front of low arch which may have housed the tomb of Roger de Halberdyne. Bones were found beneath this in the 1895 restoration

5. Choir stalls are made up of fragments from other sources, some 17th century. The Fronts came from Shifnal.

6. The organ at Clungunford Parish Church is a very fine instrument built by James J. Binns of Leeds whose sound is greatly enhanced by the remarkably resonant acoustic of the church. Further details are on a separate sheet in the church

7. The modern solid oak altar rail was designed and made at Shelderton in Clungunford parish by Geoffrey Rollason, in memory of his late mother, Barbara Rollason. The design includes the leaves and acorns of the Shelderton oak, an enormous ancient local tree.

8. Pulpit by Turner late Victorian

9. Font of Wenlock Marble installed in 1835 moved in 2013.

10. Some panelling around walls taken from Georgian box pews.

11. Clungunford kneelers, in 1996 Mary Terry of Abcott led a group of local women to make our kneelers. Many of the kneelers show local scenes or aspects of Clungunford village life.

12. Nave north east window, 1970 by Francis Skeat. Memorial to Margaret Vaughan of Abcott d 1949. It shows the church and Abcott Manor with River Clun and flock of sheep. The Vaughan family were involved in founding the Clun Forest breed of sheep.

13. Brasses to William Freeman of Coston Manor d1671, Olivia and Thomas Evans, Rector of Clungunford d1761 & 1762. Blanch Pryce d 1758, Richard Pryce of Abcott Manor, d1683.

14. Floor inscriptions in the chancel to various members of the Bayley family of Broadward Hall 18th Century.

15. Over the door to the tower : James Green master of the Free School in Clungunford 1820

16. War Memorial commemorates the local men who died in the service of their country and are remembered here. Further details are on a separate sheet in the church