The village of Whitton is situated some five miles east of Ludlow and three and a half miles from Tenbury Wells in beautiful rolling countryside. St Mary’s has a long tradition of being, and still is, the centre and the focus of this small and friendly rural community. Livestock farming and agriculture, although not as evident as in the past, still play a large role in our lives with approximately 50% of the population working in the area and 50% commuting to nearby towns or even further afield. The social make-up of the village is about 50/50 retired and working. The population of the village consists of some 90 adults plus 10 youngsters under the age of 18 years.
The local first school is the Church of England school at Caynham some two miles away, whilst schools of secondary and higher education are in the towns of Ludlow, Tenbury Wells and Cleobury Mortimer which is some 10 miles distant and is held to be a centre of sporting excellence. There is a school bus service to the schools in Caynham and Ludlow.
The last quinquennial report showed the church building to be in urgent need of major structural repair and restoration with certain alarming degrees of movement resulting in cracking of the fabric and distortion of our valuable Burne Jones/William Morris stained glass window. During the past two years works to underpin the Chancel and repair the stonework tracery together with a complete restoration of the window have been completed and all of the considerable sums involved have been raised by this community. Works to stabilize the tower are now in hand, with help this time from English Heritage, and we are well on the way to raising the rest of the funds that will be required.
St Mary’s has a thriving congregation of some 30 souls on average with many taking an active part in the services by way of readings and intercessions. Our existing pattern of worship is evensong at 6.30pm on the second Sunday and Holy Communion at 10.00am on the fourth Sunday of the month, plus services to celebrate festivals and special occasions throughout the year.
We are fortunate to have a thriving Gift Aid commitment and this, together with numerous fundraising and social events, enable us, at the present time, to meet all of our financial commitments in full.
You can find out more at the church’s website