Restoration of St. Chad's Church, Stafford

Description:Restoration work in progress at St. Chad's on Greengate Street, revealing Norman stonework.

St. Chad's was poor and the building neglected; the old Norman tower had collapsed many years before, replaced by the present tower some time before 1500. In the 1740s the west end also collapsed, so the church was encased in plaster and brickwork, covering the Norman features. The church bells were sold to cover some of the repair costs.

By the mid-nineteenth century St. Chad's was in more regular use. Restoration work carried out in the second half of the 1800s revealed much of the original Norman church, and the chancel was restored in the memory of Izaak Walton, who was a benefactor of St. Chad's.

Photograph donated by Stafford Historical and Civic Society, who retain copyright ownership.