Church spotlight: St Mary's Church in Knockin

The church organ has been played by the same family ever since it was installed in 1907.

There is a real sense of a close-knit community around St Mary's Church in Knockin, near Oswestry.

"Knockin is a small, friendly village church," says the Rev Helen Morby, who has been priest in charge for the past three years.

"It is a very small community, and the people support one another, everyone is very caring," she says.

The village of Knockin, or Cnukyn as it was historically known, takes its name from the Welsh for "a small hillock", and the church is thought to be the oldest remaining building in the community.

It was probably established as a chapel to Knockin Castle – all that remains of the fortress is a tree-covered mound of earth – and was built between 1182 and 1195 by Ralph l'Estrange, under the patronage of Haughmond Abbey.

However, that would be to tell only part of the story.

The church was extensively rebuilt in 1846, and much of the church's appeal lies in the way that the original Norman features have been incorporated into the 19th century building.

Take the arched stonework of the old north arcade, which has been attractively blended in with the simple plastered wall of the nave, with the windows carefully styled to reflect the medieval features.

Another distinctive feature is the slim-pointed tower, which manages to look out of proportion with the rest of the church, yet is quite enchanting at the same time.

Also looking slightly incongruous is the red-brick porch at the front of the church, which was added at the turn of the 20th century.

Its graveyard was consecrated in 1817. Before then at least some burials took place at Kinnerley. It contains the registered war graves of two officers and two soldiers.

Helen, a 53-year-old mother-of-two, says she is particularly fond of the spacious area around the altar.

"It is really nice for our smaller services, we had a prayer meeting here and we all sat together," she says.

The church is busy in the run-up to Christmas, with a Christingle service being held tomorrow at 4pm.

A Christmas carol service will also be held on December 20, at 11.15am, as well as a traditional midnight service on Christmas Eve, starting at 11.30pm.

Helen says Sunday congregations are typically about 12 to 15 strong, although the church is regularly filled for weddings or funerals.

The church plays an important role in the community, hosting a monthly coffee morning called Cameo (Come And Meet Each Other), and its annual social gathering brings the whole village together.

The church also organises the multi-denominational Filling Station services at Knockin Village Hall, which offer a modern evangelical style of worship.

The services, on the third Tuesday of each month, attract up to 70 worshippers.

"They attract people from as far afield as Welshpool, Llangollen and Shrewsbury," says Helen.

While having a small, close-knit congregation makes for a warm atmosphere, though, it can also mean that church members have to work hard to raise funds for essential maintenance.

At the moment, St Mary's is trying to raise £50,000 for essential repairs.

"The big job that really needs to be done is the repointing of the stonework outside," says Helen.

Other urgent work includes removing asbestos, improving the heating system and repairs to the electrics.

Repair to guttering and improving drainage will also protect the church from further wear and tear in years to come.

"Because Knockin is a small community, it's hard to get this sort of work done," says Helen.

"We will be applying for grants, but to do that we will need to raise some money

first.

• Anybody able to support the St Mary’s Church appeal can pay cheques, made payable to PCC Knockin, into account number 00121507, sort code 30-96-33. The account name is PCC Knockin.