The Bishop of Lichfield, the Right Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave, visited a far-flung corner of the Diocese to experience one of its most unique church buildings.
St Michaels Church in Llanyblodwel, near the Welsh border in Shropshire, was built in around 1100 and underwent a gothic renovation by the local vicar in the nineteenth century.
Churchwarden Roger Taylor said it was a pleasure to welcome Bishop Michael and his wife Dr Julia Ipgrave to the Norman church.
The parishioners of Llanyblodwel and the Border Benefice were delighted when Bishop Michael expressed an interest in seeing the unique architecture and decoration at St Michaels Church, said Roger. This was the first visit by a Diocesan Bishop for nearly 20 years.
In the 1840s, a wealthy incumbent, the Reverend John Parker, who was also an architect, had remodelled the church in gothic style, built a stand-alone spire copied from the design of a church seen in Germany, and introduced features into the internal church design which included flamboyant decorations and many wall panels. We also learnt more about our church from the insights provided by Bishop Michael in such areas as the design of the altar and the nature of hidden messages in a rather grand wall memorial.
Bishop Michael added: Since becoming the Bishop of Lichfield last September, it has been a privilege to visit churches across our vast and varied diocese. Llanyblodwel is a stones throw from the Welsh border but the Christians there are an important part of our Lichfield diocesan family. It was great to spent time with local people and learn more about the fascinating history of worship there.
Earlier in the day, Bishop Michael visited the newly formed Holy Trinity CE Primary Academy & Nursery school in nearby Oswestry to mark its official opening. He spent time meeting staff and children in their classrooms and took part in a celebration in the hall where he was presented with a special banner. The new academy is part of the Church of England Central Education Trust (CECET), a unique partnership that brings together the dioceses of Lichfield and Birmingham and the University of Wolverhampton. Find out more here
