Clunbury Craven Arms
01588 640813

The Church

The present grade 1 listed church was built in the 12th century as some of the doors and windows indicate, but it may have been built on an earlier religious site as the semi-circular shape of the wall on the west side of the churchyard suggests.  It was extended in the later Norman period, and its tower has undergone various repairs.  There was much restoration in the Victorian era.  It has an excellent organ in good condition. The six bells which date from 1620 to 1887 were restored and rehung in 2009, and are often used by the Bellringers group, and visiting ringers.

The building and the churchyard are generally in good condition, and a project to provide much needed toilet and kitchen facilities is almost at the building stage.  We are fortunate to have much support in the community for regular and less common tasks that need to be done, everything from churchyard mowing, flower arranging, cleaning, hoisting of flags and winding of clocks are done with care and commitment, and we have an active and enthusiastic group of bellringers.

Caring for God's Acre are now fostering a wild flower meadow in the churchyard. 

Worship

Currently the pattern of services has been disrupted by Covid 19 but we would hope to restore weekly services held in either St Swithin's or St Mary's, Clunton to include Communion, Matins and Evensong, or service of morning worship.

Regular congregations are small and mostly older people but the great festivals of the Church year are well attended- the provision of mulled wine/hot cross buns as appropriate, adds to the sense of the Church's place at the heart of our community.  

 On Good Friday a Cross is carried up and fixed on Clunbury Hill by children and adults from this and neighbouring parishes, with prayers being said en route. The cross stands out on top of the hill, a prominent marker of the Easter season.

A Remembrance service is held in the church, and this is followed by an Act of Remembrance at Purslow War Memorial. 

 The school uses the church throughout the year, at Christmas, Easter and Harvest services as well as a Leavers Service in the summer when the PCC give a bible to each leaver, and the children have provided art work for each festival.  These services are well supported by families and other members of the church community. Several of the families now come from outside the village and the provision of refreshments before the services has fostered good relationships, and a little fundraising towards a space for prams and wheelchairs, by the removal of a few pews.

PCC

There are 9 members of the PCC with experience of business, journalism and farming.  There are 79 people on the Clunbury Electoral Roll and 22 for Clunton. 

Population

The school has brought several young families to the parish. However the majority are retired, with many, particularly the farming families, living in the area more than one generation. There are few jobs for young people and most have to travel for work. Public transport is not frequent and costs of travel and house prices are high.

The main source of income in the area is agriculture - farms of every size and type are proud of the food they produce and the landscape they sustain.  That landscape also sustains the second thread of income in the Parish - tourism, with holiday lets and B and B.  

This is a supportive, lively, hospitable and caring community.

Community Outreach

There is an excellent local newsletter, the Parish Post, which is distributed throughout the Parish and keeps us all in touch with local events and news.  Clunbury Parish is a supportive and caring community. 

 Members of the Church take their Christian values into many roles in our community.  We are Parish Councillors, Friends of Clunbury School, members of British Legion, Clun Forest NFU branch Chairman, South Shropshire Healthcare Governor, members of the Marches Choir, on the committee of the Village Hall. Magistrate ??  

Finances 

The church is lucky enough to be well endowed and there is enough money to pay our Parish Offer. Fundraising has up to now included a most successful Promises Auction in the local pub at Purslow, a barbeque and concerts when most of the village attend or take part, but all this has been disrupted by Covid 19, so we are also looking at ways of raising money which do not involve events, such as donations through shopping on line and a ‘Friends' group.

B4368 Clunton Craven Arms
01588640813

The Church

The village of Clunton is in the parish of Clunbury. St Mary's Church was built in 1870 as a Chapel of Ease of St Swithin's Church, Clunbury and is situated in the centre of the village on the B4368. Built of local stone in the decorated style, it consists of a continuous nave and chancel, with a small north porch and western bell gable, and very little surrounding ground. An earlier mediaeval church existed in Clunton, but its history and even its location are uncertain.

Worship

As a daughter church to Clunbury, our services are shared with St Swithin's, with the venue alternating between our two churches on a monthly rota. There is one service each month held in St Mary's, Clunton. Common Worship Holy Communion one month and Evensong the next - usually lay-led.

The average attendance at these services is 12, and the majority of the congregation are retired. Up to 40 attend special services such as harvest, thanksgiving and the Christmas Carol Service. We enjoy group services with the other churches in the Benefice when there is a 5th Sunday in the month.

Maintenance and Repair

The church is well cared for with a rota in place for the weekly cleaning and provision of flowers. For festivals and special services, the church is decorated throughout by generous helpers. The small garden area at the front is tended regularly.

Fire extinguishers are checked and maintained annually. As required by our insurance, we have used Smart Water to mark the small amount of lead on the roof, the cross and the metal gates and railings.

In 2010, major repair works were undertaken on the roof and porch, funded almost entirely from the church funds. This has left our savings depleted and as yet we are unable to consider the required work to renew the heating systems.

Finance

Fundraising is vital to ensure the church stays functioning, but the events organised also provide popular social occasions and are well supported by the village. There are two coffee mornings each year, and other events have included cheese and wine evenings, garage sales, open gardens and BBQs. Every September a team of cyclists and walkers support the Shropshire Historic Churches Trust Ride and Stride and raise sponsorship to share between the Trust and our church.

In 2017 we started a 100 Club, which has proved popular and provides an income to the church of up to £600 pa.

The church is supported by regular giving through Gift Aided covenants, although these have decreased recently. A special collection at the Harvest Festival goes to a charity eg. Wateraid, Christian Aid , Severn Hospice.

So far, we have always managed to pay our Parish Share promptly and in full. Increasing utility and insurance costs are a concern, and it is difficult to warm the church in winter.

Electoral Roll

There are currently 22 on the electoral roll.

Churchwardens and Church Council

Our churchwardens are from St Swithin's, Clunbury, but St Mary's has a Secretary, Treasurer/Gift Aid Officer and a Church Council with 6 members.

Community Outreach

Our treasurer is the leader of an Open The Book team, that goes into Clunbury School twice a month. The children there enjoy the bible stories and love to be part of the dramatisation. At Easter and Christmas we hold Open the Book in the church and invite parents to attend.

Clunton residents are represented on the Parish Council, Parish Post team, South West Shropshire Gardening Club, and are the mainstay of the committee for the annual Purslow Sports, Show and Gymkhana. Clunton Scrumpers are a group who own fruit juicing equipment and local people can take along their apples or pears to the Village Hall on a specific weekend and take home fresh juice. A popular venture, and a welcome service to those with a lot of fruit trees.

Clunton, Clunbury and the school take part in Operation Christmas Child each year and send filled boxes through Samaritans Purse to under privileged children around the world.

Clunton is a close-knit community that enjoys all the social activities and works together to support the church, the village hall and the pub. 

Clunton, SY7 0HU
(01588) 660265
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