Church of St Mary

About

The Church of St Mary, Sheriffhales, is a Church of England place of worship in the village of Sheriffhales, near the eastern edge of Shropshire, although for most of its history the parish was mainly in Staffordshire, with a small portion in Shropshire. The history of the church goes back at least to the Norman period — possibly into Anglo-Saxon times. For more than three centuries it belonged to the Abbey of Saint-Evroul, an important monastery in the Pays d'Ouche region of south-east Normandy, before Henry V transferred it to Sheen Priory.

The early modern period, from the Reformation to the English Civil War and Commonwealth, brought rapid change and turbulence, with a less eventful period after the Restoration The fabric of the building dates from several periods, with some going back to the High Middle Ages, although much was constructed from 1661 as part of a major extension and improvement. There was Victorian restoration as well as further refurbishment in the 20th century. The overall appearance remains that of a square-towered, sandstone church, typical of its region.