Shropshire Star

Church spotlight: Thomas Telford's first church in the heart of market town

Every summer, thousands of visitors pour into Bridgnorth as they take a ride on the Severn Valley Railway. And one of the first sights that greets them is the stunning green-capped tower of St Mary Magdalene's Church, which marked Thomas Telford's first venture into ecclesiastical architecture.

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"We get a lot of people who arrive from the Severn Valley Railway," says the Preb Simon Cawdell, who has been the man at the helm of St Mary's for the past four-and-a-half years.

"We're the first thing they see as they come across the footbridge. A lot of them are interested in engineering, and they ask a lot of questions about it being Telford's first church."

St Mary Magadalene Church in Bridgnorth
  • Date established: 1101, present church built 1792.

  • Capacity 377.

  • The church is unusual in that it based on a north-south axis, not the more conventional east-west orientation.

  • Many of the gravestones in the churchyard are made of cast iron, reflecting the area’s role in the Industrial Revolution.

  • The church has eight bells, the heaviest weighing 8cwt.

  • There is the table on which the surrender of Bridgnorth Castle was signed in 1647.

Telford had been appointed surveyor of public works in 1787, when the Industrial Revolution was at its height. In 1788 he warned the churchwardens of St Chad's Church that the building was structurally unsound, but they chose to ignore his advice, and shortly after the church collapsed into a heap of rubble. So when the young engineer warned that the medieval church next to Bridgnorth Castle also needed rebuilding, they wisely decided to heed his advice.

St Mary's has its roots in the collegiate church which was built at Quatford by Roger de Montgomery in 1086, but it moved to Bridgnorth 15 years later following a rebellion against King Henry I by Robert de Bellesme. The first church on the site was a private chapel of Bridgnorth Castle, but by the 15th century it was being used as a parish church.

Telford began building the new church in 1792.

It was the first of only three churches that Telford designed, and features a portico of four Tuscan columns carrying a cornice, with an octagonal clock stage and a lead dome.

Mr Cawdell says: "The first thing that really strikes you about it is the predominance of light, it's a very light church.

"That is because Telford designed it with very large clear glass windows down both sides of the church."

There is, however, a very impressive stained glass window which was made by Ludlow-based Williams & Byrne two years ago, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation.

Unusually, the church is built on a north-south axis, as opposed to the more usual east-west orientation.

"This is because Telford wanted it to face down East Castle Street," says Mr Cawdell.

"It gives a really stunning view of the building, it's an imposing building as you turn into East Castle Street."

The rector, who was last year appointed a prebendary of Hereford Cathedral, was born in Bridgnorth, and attended St Leonard's Church in the town before moving away at the age of seven. He worked as a commercial lawyer in the City of London before retraining from the priesthood, and previously served as vicar of All Saints' Church in Claverley.

Inside St Mary Magadalene Church

Mr Cawdell says the church, which has a regular congregation of around 100, plays an important role in the heart of the community, and has a strong musical tradition. An impressive Father Willis organ, purchased from Clifton College in Bristol, was installed in 2008.

"We have a strong church choir that has expanded over the past two-to-three years, and we join up with other members of the community to put on events," he says.

"We act as the base of the Bridgnorth Sinfonia , and we are used during the Haydn Festival as well."

On April 14 the church will host a hustings for the candidates who will be contesting the Ludlow seat at the General Election.

In the meantime, Mr Cawdell is busy preparing for tomorrow's Easter services, which he says is always a very special time at the church.

"It's a fantastic time for Christians to reflect on how God turns around something which is awful," he says.

"On Good Friday we contemplate Jesus dying on the cross, and then everything is completely transformed by Easter Sunday by His resurrection. It is a great celebration of our faith."

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