Upton Magna St Lucia SY4 4TZ P Disabled access with assistance WC key at shop
St Lucia's Grade II* church has stood at the centre of this expanding rural conservation village some five miles
from Shrewsbury for over a thousand years. It is the one of only two churches in the country to have the dedication to St Lucia, patron saint of light and eyesight.
It is built in Grinshill stone, and was extended when Haughmond Abbey was built in 1135. The Nave and Chancel are dated from the 12th century with existing pairs of small Norman round arched windows; archaeologists believe some foundation stones are Saxon.
The west tower is a “glorious example of Perpendicular architecture.” . It was completed in 1475 and contains a good ring of six bells, the majority from the seventeenth century, two of the original bells and the chiming bell, dated 1499 remain, being described as 'very old, very rare and very precious'.
There is an interesting memorial of a recumbent figure in Elizabethan costume
commemorating Walter Barker of Haughmond who died in 1644 and his wife Ursula as well as a number of other monuments and wall plaques.
The recent modernisation project has seen the installation of a tea point and toilet facilities, following substantial repairs to the fabric of the church, drainage, rainwater goods and new heating.
Much of the church was rebuilt and restored by the Gothic Revival architect G E Street in the late 1850s, adding the north aisle, marble and stone reredos, a distinctive altar and much of the stained glass, including the St Lucia window.
A wall painting of Jesus baptised by John the Baptist is visible near the font and many more wall paintings are now emerging after being painted over in the 1950s. A survey in 2016 stated that these wall paintings are of great significance and bespoke to the church, as is the ceiling.
Outside a substantial well maintained churchyard, habitat for mason bees, areas of wild
bluebells and a memorial daffodil bank, several listed tombs, WW11 grave and a listed oak lych gate.
We welcome visitors to our church, which has a lively pattern of modern and traditional services. Visitors of all denominations are always welcome to share fully in communion.
As St Lucia is the patron saint of eyesight, we are working alongside the RNIB and their tactile interpretation centre to provide a suitable welcome and activities, including a sensory garden, which we hope can be enjoyed and extended to all. These new facilities will mean a wider and more diverse community use can be offered. A braille guide book has been prepared by the RNIB
https://www.facebook.com/St-Lucias-Church-Upton-Magna-102023287932460/
http://www.wrockwardinedeanery.org.uk/#churches
Photos:- ACNY, NCT, Upton Magna Parish Council and AP