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There has been a church on this site since the 9th century. The original church was associated with the coronation of seven Saxon kings, and the coronation stone can still be seen near the Guildhall. Only slight traces of that original church still exist The oldest part of the present church dates from the 13th century although the major part was built from 1370 onwards. Some restoration and alteration was carried out in the late 19th century. The tower we have today was built in 1708 to replace a steeple, and it was substantially rebuilt in 1971-72 when the bells were rehung and increased to 12.
In 2003 a start was made on repairs to the roof, and the church is now watertight.
Further work is needed in the interior of the church, and the present choir vestry
is to be replaced by a new extension to include a choir rehearsal room and vestry,
toilets and a kitchen. An appeal has been
opened to raise over two million pounds for this work and currently over
£600,000 has been raised. So far, the main roof has been repaired and the church is
now fully watertight. The next stage is to refurbish the clergy vestry. For more information about the church, see the church's own web site |