St Alkmund's Church, Whitchurch

St Alkmund's Church, Whitchurch
St Alkmund's Church, Whitchurch, from the southeast
St Alkmund's Church, Whitchurch location in Shropshire
Coordinates: 52°58′15″N 2°41′06″W / 52.9708°N 2.6849°W / 52.9708; -2.6849
OS grid reference	SJ 541 417
Location	Whitchurch, Shropshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Alkmund, Whitchurch
History
Dedication	Alcmund of Derby
Consecrated	1712
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	1 May 1951
Architectural type	Church
Style	Neoclassical
Groundbreaking	1712
Completed	1713
Construction cost	£4,000
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone, slate roof
Administration
Parish	Whitchurch
Deanery	Wem and Whitchurch
Archdeaconry	Salop
Diocese	Lichfield
Province	Canterbury
Clergy
Rector	Revd Canon Judy Hunt
Laity
Organist(s)	Dr Bob Fowler
Churchwarden(s)	John Stokes, Phil Pettitt
Parish administrator	Jo Lavin

St Alkmund's Church stands in an elevated position in the centre of the town of Whitchurch, Shropshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Lichfield, the archdeaconry of Salop and the deanery of Wem and Whitchurch.

The accepted date of the foundation of the church, named for Alcmund of Derby, is 912, although the earliest record of a church on the site is 1089. This church was built in white stone, giving the name to the town. In 1296, the first rector of the church was instituted. In 1403 following his death at the Battle of Shrewsbury, Sir Henry Percy (Hotspur) was temporarily buried in the church. Towards the end of the 15th century the body of John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, who had been killed at the Battle of Castillon in 1453, was removed to the church. His embalmed heart was buried under the porch and his bones lie under his effigy in the Lady Chapel. On 31 July 1711, the central tower of the medieval church, which dated from the 15th century, collapsed and the church had to be completely rebuilt. The foundation stone was laid on 27 March 1712 and the new church was consecrated on 8 October 1712. It was built by mason William Smith of Tettenhall to the designs of John Barker (1668-1727) of Rowsley.

The church was restored in 1877–79 and again in 1885–86. Further internal alterations were made in 1894 when the organ was moved from the west gallery to its present position on the north of the chancel. At this time the organ was almost completely overhauled and rebuilt. In 1900–02, the brick internal walls were refaced with stone and the apse was redecorated. The porch was rebuilt in 1925. The north and south galleries were removed in 1972.