Church spotlight: St Luke's Church, Hodnet

The 59-year-old says she is just beginning to acquaint herself with life in north Shropshire, after a lifetime in Belfast's bustling and often-troubled Shankill Road, which was for many years a notorious flashpoint for sectarian violence, culminating in the chip-shop bombing which took place 22 years ago yesterday.

"I made the move because I have a daughter Lynda who lives in Wem," she says.

• Founded: 828AD

• Capacity: 350 (seated)

• Main services: 11am Sunday

• There are several notable monuments, including those to the Hill family, including one to religious revivalist and North Shropshire MP Sir Richard Hill, who died in 1808

• The Heber-Percy Chapel includes a marble portrait of Bishop Heber, who was rector of the church from 1807-23, and the author of many well-known hymns

"She married a man from who lives here, so it seemed the right time to move."

And Edith, who is married to Jim, has been touched by the warm reception she has got since taking over at St Luke's.

"It's a beautiful place, with all the black-and-white buildings it's the typical postcard image of the English countryside," she says.

"It's a bit different to the Shankill Road in many ways. Compared to living in the city it's a lot quieter, but the people are the same all over, they have really made me welcome."

"I grew up during the Troubles in Belfast, my family lost our home – they burned down the home we were living in, but that was just something I grew up with."

She says it was a hard leaving Belfast after a lifetime in the city where she had so many good friends, but the move also represents an exciting new chapter in her life.

"It was very hard leaving my friends and family in Belfast, but I have no regrets," she says. "I miss my friends, but I don't miss my past life, this is where I am now."

Helping her settle into her new surroundings is churchwarden and lay reader Janice Parker, who has been a member of the church for 25 years and is described by the new rector as an authority on the building's history.

"There has been a church on this exact site since 828AD," says Janice, who has been churchwarden for about 11 years.

"It was originally a wooden church until the Normans came, and then they built a stone church which was enlarged in the 14th century."

While many churches from that era were heavily modernised during the Victorian times St Luke's is refreshingly untouched. It is also unique in Shropshire in having a tower that is octagonal from top to bottom, and its twin naves, long seven-bay arcade and three gables at the east end also mark it out as something of an architectural gem.

One recent alteration that is welcome, though, it the new mechanised clock which was installed last year.

"Before that was put in, somebody had to go up into the tower every Friday, and wind the clock up 146 times. It was quite a hard job," says Janice.

Janice says the church attracts a large number of visitors, many of them from overseas, who come to trace their ancestors through the church registers which date back to the 1600s. Dan Brown's novel the Da Vinci Code, coupled with reported links between Hodnet and the legend of the Holy Grail in a separate book by Graham Phillips, also led to an increase in visitors.

"The story was that the Holy Grail was in Hodnet, but it isn't really," says Janice. "It's a nice story, but it isn't true."

Janice says some of her favourite features are the beautiful stained glass windows, which depict scenes from the Bible.

The impressive organ was installed in 1883 and restored in 1979, while the pews were made from the old panelled oak ceilings, with flowered bosses, in 1821.

Tiled floors decorate both old and new chancels. In the current north aisle area they are to commemorate the Vernon family, who were lords of the manor in the 16th century, while in the old chancel they are dedicated to Bishop Reginald Heber, some showing initials, "RH".

To the left of the holy table is the Heber-Percy Chapel which was built in 1870. The pulpit dates from the 18th century.

There are eight bells in the tower, six installed in 1769 and two trebles which were added in 1947. The upper ringing chamber was constructed at that time leaving the choir vestry on the ground floor.