Whitchurch Town Trail: St. Alkmund's Church

The Parish Church of Whitchurch stands at the summit of High Street, at its junction with Church Street, Bargates and Yardington. Built of red sandstone, the present building was consecrated in October 1713, and is the largest 18th century church in Shropshire outside Shrewsbury.


Master masons Richard and William Smith of Tettenhall, Staffs were responsible for its design and construction, also ‘according to a design drawn by John Barker’. The building cost £4,000, equivalent to well over £5 million at today’s values. The clock, still wound by hand, was made in 1849 for £200 by Thos. Joyce and Sons, who later became the internationally renowned Whitchurch clockmakers JB Joyce of Station Road. The clock face was replaced in 1977. With its dominant position, the tower is visible, sometimes unexpectedly, from many locations around the town and beyond.


The porch was rebuilt in 1925 in line with existing illustrations of the original. A brass plaque just to the right of the main door commemorates the composer Sir Edward German (1862-1936), born at the Cornmarket Inn, St Mary’s Street (now the Old Town Hall Vaults).

Early History

Founded in early 10th century (possibly 912AD) by Ethelflaeda, daughter of King Alfred, dedicated to St Alkmund, a young Northumbrian prince killed in battle c.800 and then canonised.

Only six churches in England dedicated to St Alkmund, one in nearby Shrewsbury, all in the Saxon kingdom of Mercia.

Sited on the line of the north wall and ditch of the Roman town of Mediolanum, the mid-point between Viroconium near Shrewsbury and Deva (modern Chester) and possibly even on the location of town’s gatehouse.

The White Church, from which the town’s name was derived, was built of local Grinshill stone towards the end of the 11th century, probably in 1088.

Third church built 1350 with ten lancet windows and a large central tower, probably added some years later. The tower collapsed on 31st July 1711, possibly due to its excessive weight, but also possibly because the church’s foundations were unstable, standing exactly over the line of the Roman ditch.

Lord John Talbot

At the right of the main porch, a large tablet explains the last testament of Lord John Talbot, military hero during the Hundred Years War and 1st Earl of Shrewsbury. According to his wishes, his heart, embalmed and returned from France where he was killed in battle, lies interred in a silver casket beneath the church entrance.

Originally buried on the battlefield at Castillon in 1453, his remains were eventually returned to Whitchurch fifty years later through his grandson Sir Gilbert Talbot. His canopied tomb stands in the Lady Chapel at the east end of the South aisle. When restored in 1874, it was discovered ‘that every bone from the skull to the smallest metacarpal had been carefully wrapped in rare cloth, and in the skull itself was found the body of a mummified mouse with her three young ones.’

Church Interior

Nikolaus Pevsner: The Buildings of England: Shropshire comments briefly on notable aspects of the church, describing its architecture and mentioning the monuments, stained glass windows and other significant features that it contains.

More extensive treatment is available in A Short History and Guide Book, published by the Parish Church Office. Among other subjects, it contains detailed coverage of:

The Lady Chapel: including Lord John Talbot’s tomb

The Chancel: sanctuary, reredos, furnishings, organ and its angel, choir stalls

The Nave: furnishings, chandeliers, sculptures, the South windows, font, galleries

The North Aisle: Philip Henry memorial, windows, effigy of Canon Sir John Talbot DD, 16th century founder of Whitchurch Grammar School, Matthew Fowler memorial, West wall

The Tower: bells, clock

The Rector’s Library