Holy Trinity Church, Eccleshall

Anglo-Saxon period

Before the Norman Conquest the Eccleshall estate belonged to St Chad's Cathedral: the estate may have been granted to Saint Chad, the first Bishop of Lichfield in the 7th century, or to a successor. (This is the interpretation of the record in the Domesday Book of 1086 that St Chad held the estate of Eccleshall.) The first part of the name "Eccleshall" is the Celtic word for church, suggesting that the estate was based on a Celtic Christian community.

The building

The oldest parts of the church, the foundations and pillars, date from around 1189, when Hugh Nonant was bishop of Lichfield. It is thought that the building of this time replaced a small Norman church.

The chancel and arcades are largely 13th-century. The clerestory was built in the 15th century.

The height of the church, to the top edges of the tower battlements, is 94 feet (29 m). The tower shows two phases of English Gothic architecture, being in 13th-century Early English style for most of its height, with an extension of 15th-century Perpendicular style. The stone pinnacles on the tower were added in recognition of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

The sandstone font in the church dates from the 13th century.

Restoration of 1860s

In 1866–9 the church was restored by George Edmund Street. The roofs of the north and south aisles were replaced, and the north wall was rebuilt, making the north aisle four feet wider. The ceiling of the nave was removed and the roof above was panelled. In the chancel, the east window was replaced by a five-light window in Early English style; a pointed chancel arch was built, and the chancel roof was raised. The box pews were replaced by oak seating. At the west end, a baptistry and choir vestry were built on either side of the tower.

The reredos was created in 1898 as a memorial to Colonel Francis Chambers; it was designed by Basil Champneys and made by Bridgemans of Lichfield.

Organ

The organ was installed in 1827; it was rebuilt in 1913, and in 1930 by Hill, Norman and Beard. The last work on the organ was in 1977. The organ case, of 1931, was designed by W. D. Caroe and made by Bridgemans of Lichfield.

Tombs of bishops and churchyard

The church contains the tombs of four Bishops of Lichfield. Richard Sampson, who earlier in his career was an agent of Henry VIII concerning his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, died in 1554 and was buried on the north side of the altar; the tomb was moved to the Old Baptistry about 100 years ago. Thomas Bentham, who became bishop soon after the accession of Queen Elizabeth I, died in 1578 and was buried in the chancel; his tomb was moved in the last century to the vestry.

The tomb of William Overton, bishop from 1579 until 1609, is in the chancel. It has a recumbent effigy of the bishop, and effigies of his two wives kneeling. The tomb of James Bowstead, who became bishop in 1840, is in the north-east corner of the chancel, near the altar. He died aged 42, after a fall from a horse.

Bishop John Lonsdale, who died in 1867, is buried in the north-east corner of the churchyard.

The churchyard also contains five Commonwealth war graves, of three British Army soldiers of World War I and a British Army officer and Royal Navy sailor of World War II.

Bells

Four bells were hung in 1547. In 1710, these were replaced by six bells, cast by Abraham Rudhall I. The lightest of these was recast in 1873 by Taylor's Bell Foundry of Loughborough. In the 1950s a steel frame for eight bells was installed, two new bells being added, which were the gift of the Lowe family of Sugnall. There is also a small "sanctus" bell, made in 1735 by Abel Rudhall, grandson of Abraham I, and added in recent years.