Pendock Church

Pendock Church stands in an isolated spot south-east of Sledge Green in Worcestershire, overlooking the M50 motorway. It is built of sandstone rubble with a tiled roof and a west tower in three stages. The nave has a north porch with a timber frame and a round-headed doorway carved with chevrons. The chancel roof sits lower than the nave and has a small vestry on its north side. Earthworks of a former medieval village lie to the north of the church. The church dates from the 12th century with later additions in the 14th and 15th centuries. It was transferred to the Churches Conservation Trust in 1987. Inside, the nave and chancel ceilings are plastered, and fragments of medieval wall painting survive above the chancel arch. The font is plain and circular, dating from the 10th century, while the communion rails have turned balusters from the 17th century. The organ, possibly played by Sir Edward Elgar, was restored in 1978. The church contains a ring of four bells, the oldest from 1686, and silver plate including a paten and flagon from 1740. Boards in the nave display the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed, and tiles under the tower list churchwardens from 1851. The south wall of the nave has a plain round-headed doorway, and the chancel’s east wall holds a two-light window. The setting remains quiet, with the motorway visible but distant.