Church History

The church was built around 1300 and is a Grade II listed building.  In 1645 during the civil war the church was involved in local fighting and the tower was set on fire in an attempt to smoke out a royalist sniper.  The Sealed Knott periodically re-enact this battle and it is a colourful, noisy and bloodthirsty event.  The churchyard contains an earthwork from a Civil War gun battery, which has been scheduled as an ancient monument by English Heritage.

The churchyard contains War Commission Gravestones  of six airmen who were killed locally during 1941 and 1942.  These graves are tended by a rota of local people who also look after the graves of a soldier and Miss Mee, who was the local school mistress.

More information about Shelford church and its history can be found  at www.stmarysradcliffe.org/shelford