I was looking forward to visiting the parish church of SS Peter and Paul in Birtsmorton, a straggling village that is difficult to geographically describe as it has little shape or form. But the church was locked and there was no mention of a key being available. A shame, because cruciform church with a 14th century tower sounded appealing. As did ancient alms boxes carved from tree trunks – not to mention the tomb of Admiral Caldwell (died 1718) who was the second husband of Catherine Nanfans of Birtsmorton Court (next to the church and now one of those ghastly wedding venues) who went on to marry two more times and had a bit of a name around the village. But it was not to be. Even the rafters of the porch shouted out “Closed!” as the photograph shows.
So I went for a pint of shandy in the Farmers’ Arms in the hamlet of Birts Street instead.
It was a fine afternoon so I spread out my Ordnance Survey map on a table outside the pub and studied my next move. I noticed that about half a mile from where I was sipping there was marked a “Church with Spire.” There was nothing on my list of Church of England buildings so I assumed it was another flavour of Christianity. And it was.
Birts Street lies in the northern part of the parish of Birtsmorton (church closed) and is described in A History of the County of Worcester (1924) as a “small agricultural parish lying between Castlemorton on the north and Berrow on the south. Its southern boundary is formed by a brook which flows from Birtsmorton to Longdon. The parish has a total area of 1,291 acres, of which 240 acres are arable land, 871 acres pasture and 14 acres woodland.” Which is a much better description that that offered by Wikipedia. “Birtsmorton is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills of Worcestershire, England.” Incidentally the 1924 History goes on to state that, “the population is now chiefly agricultural; the women were formerly employed in glove-sewing.” Fascinating.
On this street a Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built in the revival year of 1844. (Given the common custom of non-conformist women to wear gloves in church there would have been no shortage in the community!) I’m trying to find out more about its construction and perhaps its worship and activities but am not uncovering much at the moment. None of the weightier histories mention it but I’m hoping that Malvern Library may be able to dig out a few facts for me. All I know is that the chapel closed in the late 1980s as the congregation dwindled, and that the building and land were sold into private ownership. The chapel is now a private residence.
[1] History. Volume 4. 1924. William Page & JW Willis-Bund, editors.
Birtsmorton Village. Grid Ref. SO799355
Church Tramp : Wanderings Through Old Churches and Beyond 