St Peter’s Church in Melverley is one of the rarest timber-framed buildings in the country. It has recently been awarded a significant grant of £12,000, with contributions from the National Churches Trust and the Wolfson Foundation. This funding is designated for urgent repairs to the oak timbers and frames, which have been damaged by heavy winds, storms, and rising damp.
The history of the site dates back approximately 1,000 years. The original wooden chapel was mentioned in 1141 but was later destroyed by fire in 1401 during the Welsh uprisings led by Owain Glyndŵr. The building seen today was completed in 1406. It is constructed entirely of local oak and held together by wooden pegs; notably, no nails or screws were used in the original frame.
The ground beneath it has historically been unstable. In 1990, after heavy flooding, a large section of the riverbank collapsed. This gave the appearance that the church was moving toward the water. To save the structure, a 100-foot-long steel wall was driven 30 feet into the ground between the church and the River Vyrnwy.
During these 1990 repairs, engineers discovered that the church had no traditional foundations. The entire building had to be raised using jacks so that a brick 
foundation wall and concrete base could be constructed underneath. At this time, much of the wattle and daub was also replaced with modern fireproof materials to satisfy safety requirements.
Inside, the church is divided by three internal timber frames. These split the building into a nave, a chancel, and a small area beneath the belfry. There is a west gallery, which, with its associated panelling, dates back to 1588, a significant addition during the Elizabethan era.
The woodwork throughout the interior is largely original, held together by the same peg construction used for the exterior walls.
The font, a heavy, octagonal stone bowl is believed to be Saxon, dating back roughly 1,000 years. It probably belonged to the original chapel that stood on the site before the 15th-century rebuild.
Another significant item is the chained Bible, printed in 1717, secured to a wooden desk to prevent it from being moved, reflecting a time when Bibles were rare and valuable community assets.
While the gallery at the west end is dated 1718, the pulpit and the reading desk are older.
The Carvings: They feature the distinct, stiff floral and geometric motifs typical of the early 1600s. The similarity in carving suggests they were probably commissioned as a set to modernize the interior during the post-Reformation shift toward emphasizing the "Word" (the sermon and liturgy).
The Inscription: If you look closely at the pulpit, it bears a famous and rather sobering inscription: "Christ is
the light of the world," and more notably, "Woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel" (a reference to 1 Corinthians 9:16). It is also dated 1633, which places it in the late Jacobean/early Caroline era.
The stained glass includes a 19th-century East window that depicts the Crucifixion, by the Victorian designer Charles Eamer Kempe (or his studio). Kempe was one of the most prestigious glass makers of the 19th century, known for his "Gothic Revival" style. You can often spot his work by his signature mark: a golden wheatsheaf, which is usually tucked into a corner of the glass.
Despite its age, the church maintains a functional simplicity that reflects its history as a place of worship for a rural community.
St Peter’s is part of the "Five Church Trail", along with Kinnerley, Knockin, Maesbrook, and Maesbury. It’s a popular draw for tourists who want to see the different architectural styles of the Shropshire/Wales border.
Although the church itself was extensively restored in 1878, the restorers were careful to preserve these original 17th-century fittings. The wood used is local oak, which has darkened significantly over the centuries, matching the heavy timber framing of the chancel screen and the structural timbers.
Melverley is one of only three timber-framed churches in Shropshire, and its framed construction is what makes it so significant.
Photos by AP
The church of St Mary the Virgin, Snead (pronounced 'Sned') near Churchstoke, is right on the Welsh/English border and next to the river Camlad. The church is tucked away down a path between hedges but its rather remote situation adds to its charm.
Parts of the church date back to the 12th century, including the font, which started life as a QUERN, a vessel for corn
or liquids, with a 
pouring spout, on a modern base.
The strange stonework on the south side may have been an outdoor preaching platform at one time.
Visitors are welcome all year
