Blossom and snow at Old St Chad's

Pretty in pink - snow falls on a blossom-covered tree at Old St Chad’s in Shrewsbury.

Blossom and snow at Old St Chad's

In the distance are the spires of St Alkmund’s and St Mary’s, almost disappearing behind a curtain of white.

I took several pictures as I wandered around town with my camera, but this one in the churchyard at Old St Chad's was my favourite.

St Chad was the first Bishop of Mercia, and there has been a church in Shrewsbury dedicated to him since early medieval times.

The old church had fallen into disrepair by the end of the 18th century, with large cracks appearing in the tower.

The great engineer, Thomas Telford, warned that it was in danger of collapse, and he was proved right when parishioners woke up one morning in 1788 to find they had a pile of rubble but no church.

A new site was found on the derelict town wall and stones from old St Chad’s were used as foundations for the new church, which was opened in 1792.

Published by Shropshire and Beyond on

2023