Church of St Editha

The Church of St Editha stands in Tamworth, Staffordshire, as the largest parish church in the county. Most of its structure dates from the 14th and 15th centuries, with later 19th-century additions. The site has held churches since the 8th century, rebuilt after fires and Danish raids. Dean Baldwin de Witney led the 14th-century reconstruction, completed in 1369. The church became collegiate in the 10th century under royal patronage, with a dean and six prebendaries by the 12th century. The church’s history includes royal connections and notable figures. King Edgar refounded the church around 963 after Danish destruction. Editha, Edgar’s aunt and later saint, became its patron. Samuel Parkes, a Victoria Cross recipient baptised here, is buried in the churchyard. The tower contains a rare double spiral staircase, one of only three in England. Restorations by Benjamin Ferrey, George Gilbert Scott and William Butterfield shaped its 19th-century appearance. Visitors find medieval fragments in the vestry and stained glass by William Wailes, Ford Madox Brown and Edward Burne-Jones. The historic pipe organ, dating from 1766, has been restored and expanded over centuries. A Steinway Grand Piano complements the organ, the only one in Tamworth. The church remains an active community hub, serving Tamworth and the wider deanery in the modern Catholic tradition of the Church of England.