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CW82: A church for all

Childrey is a vibrant rural community with an award-winning village store and a good Church primary school. St Mary’s, which is listed in Simon Jenkins’ Best One Thousand Churches, is central to community life. The Grade One listed building dates back to the 12th Century although the site goes back a thousand years, to Saxon times. But, with an elderly and dwindling congregation, churchgoers realised they had to consider the long-term sustainability of St Mary’s. What began with an £80,000 appeal for works including a new kitchenette and loo grew into a huge, multi-faceted project to keep St Mary’s alive and relevant in a small village with a population of just 500.

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