Church of St Mary and St Hardulph, Breedon on the Hill

The Priory Church of St Mary and St Hardulph stands on Breedon Hill, a site once occupied by an Iron Age hill fort called The Bulwarks. The church crowns the summit, surrounded by the remains of the fort’s earthworks. To the south, the village of Breedon on the Hill spreads across the slope, while a quarry encroaches on the eastern side. The building itself is a Grade I listed structure of exceptional architectural interest. Its origins trace back to a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon minster founded around 675. The present church replaced an earlier minster and later a priory, reflecting centuries of change. The church holds the largest and finest collection of Anglo-Saxon sculptures in England. These carvings, dating from the 9th century, include intricate Celtic patterns, lions, and birds amid vines. They were once part of the original abbey church and are now set into the interior walls. The Shirley family, who bought the site after the Dissolution, left notable monuments. Among them is the life-sized alabaster skeleton in Sir George Shirley’s tomb, carved over twenty years before his death in 1622. Other tombs commemorate Francis and John Shirley, with mourners carved in pairs around their chests. Inside, the Shirley family pew from 1627 occupies the north aisle, once their private space. The nave contains box pews from the 18th century, while the churchyard holds a single war grave from the First World War. The dedication to St Hardulph links the site to a 12th-century list of saints, possibly identifying him with King Eardwulf of Northumbria. The church’s interior blends these layers of history, from Saxon carvings to Renaissance monuments, all within the ancient earthworks of the hill fort.