Bedstone Church has the perfect setting for a country church. It nestles among pretty cottages, their varied black and white, stone or brick walls and tiled or thatched roofs contrasting with the warm red sandstone walls of the church. Its proud little shingled spire is a local landmark, visible from many, unexpected angles. It reminds us that people have come to this place for many centuries to worship God, and to seek his help in their lives.
We do not know when the first church was built here. But the walls of the present church have stood there for some eight hundred years, and the plan of the church is that of a typical Norman church, with a Nave and a smaller Chancel, divided by a wall pierced by a rounded Chancel Arch. This plain arch dates from the 12th century, as do the round-headed windows at the east end of the north wall of the Chancel, and at the east end of the south wall of the Nave. Windows like them were the largest the church had in those early days, which must have made the interior very dark and mysterious. They also had the advantage of keeping the cold winter weather out!
A semi-circle of stones visible on the outside of the south wall of the chancel indicates where a door for the priest existed in the earliest building.
The plain, tub-shaped Font is also of the 12th century, though it stands on a newer, nineteenth-century base. It has a simple semi-circular band of decoration round its middle, and you can see where a lock was fitted to close the lid so that water which had been blessed for Baptisms could not be taken away.
Extensive repairs took place in 1851, and Kempson's of Hereford restored the entire church in 1879 at a cost of around £1,200. The round-headed west door, and all the windows in the building, apart from the old ones already mentioned, were built into the ancient wealls then. The shape of the arches and the zig-zag ornament are copied from genuine Norman work. The roofs were also rebuilt at this time. A new pulpit was made, and a new piscina, where the Communion vessels can be washed, was inserted to the right of the altar.
The four windows in the north wall of the Nave are by Kempe, and commemorate the Reverend Joseph Henry Brown, who was rector here for 21 years, 1877-99. Mr Brown also installed the East Window around the time the church was restored in 1879. in memory of his wife, Annie, who died in 1872 when he was Curate at nearby Aymestrey.
There are two plain 19th century memorials over the Chancel Arch, and several to members of the Ripley family in the Nave. One interesting memorial, at the east end of the south wall of the Nave commemorates
"Alfred Ripley, midshipman R.N who was drowned in the 18th year of his age in H.M.S. Captain when that ship capsized in the Bay of Biscay on the night of Septr.6 1870. This monument is erected as an expression of affectionate regret by the officers of H.M.S. Royal Oak in which he had served for 2½ years & from which he had exchanged four days before his death."
The church serves a very small community and is currently being restored with help from English Heritage and other benefactors, but we urgently need some further help.
The village of Bedstone is very small - about 30 households, or 50 adults. A recent survey found that there was zero unemployment - which must sound very strange, but the majority of adults are retired, mainly from working on the land, and most of the rest were still working on the land. The incomes of the parishioners is uniformly low. The regular attendees are an enthusiastic dozen and a half at most, of which half do not actually live in the parish. Special occasions, such as Easter, Christmas and Harvest Festival can attract congregations of up to fifty, which is about as many as the church can accomodate! One of the church wardens does not live in the parish and five members of the PCC are from neighbouring parishes.
The spire shingles had reached the end of their useful life and the roof near the spire was leaking water. Over about eight years this small community has raised £14,000 (much of which has been attracted from outside the parish) in addition to the struggle to raise the parish share and running costs. English Heritage and others have given generous help and we have now completed the majority of the urgent repairs.
The work achieved entailed:
With the construction of the new Village Hall now complete, we are continuing the good work raising funds to redecorate the interior of the church, which desperately needs replastering.
Our sincere thanks to English Heritage, the Historic Churches Trust, and all of the other institutions and individuals that have made this possible.
For further information, please contact:
The Reverend S. B. Bell (Priest in Charge)
The Rectory
Clungunford
Craven Arms
Shropshire SY7 0PN