St. Alkmund's Parish Church

There could be no more harmonious venue for a celebration of England than this church. The largest in the county outside Shrewsbury.

The porch is even inspired by Wren's transepts in
St. Paul's.

The heart of Sir John Talbot, first Earl of Shrewsbury, is buried in a silver chalice in the porch.  

His Englishness was unsurpassed. He died in 1453 fighting the French in Bordeaux.

United Reformed Church

The congregation for this church was established by Philip Henry, the early dissenter. The present church in Dodington was built in 1846 and is still a remarkable example of a complete galleried non conformist church. The family of Sir Edward German are closely associated with this church. His father was the organist for thirty years, and the family are buried in the churchyard. It has an intimate audience atmosphere and at present will only seat 120, so the audience will be small and the acoustics are excellent. The Festival organisers are delighted to be able to use this church.

Sir John Talbot's School & Leisure Centre

The local school was established by Sir John Talbot (descendant of the first estate holders in Whitchurch) in the 16th century and has continued as the main secondary school ever since. This strong association with the Talbot family is reflected in the gallery of portraits of the Talbot dynasty displayed in the school hall. This new Centre was part of a development aided by lottery funding to enhance the facilities of sport and leisure in Whitchurch.