Shilton

The Saxon settlement of Scylfton belonged to the Godwin family, but passed into the ownership of the crown after Harald was killed at Hastings. Several name iterations followed before the name we recognize today emerged. We can’t be sure whether the church is Saxon or Norman in origin but certainly the Cistercian Abbey of Beaulieu was responsible for most of the building work, as well as the ancient buildings that comprise older Shilton, such as the Old Manor (formerly The Grange) and its tithe barn, now integrated into Headford House. 

The Church of the Holy Rood did not escape the ‘restoration’ efforts of the Victorians: their alterations are self-evident. One prominent restorer, George Edmund Street, RA, FRIBA (1824 – 1881) probably also built the neo-Gothic house next door, now home to the Rector of the Shill Valley with Broadshire Benefice. 

The Church’s font is probably Norman: its fine, high-relief carving of the Passion of Christ and raised legs are 14th Century. Baptisms take place as part of the Parish Communion service.

The bells were augmented to a clockwise ring of 6 White’s of Appleton in 2025.