All Saints’ Church, Coddington

The hamlet of Coddington is to the east of Herefordshire, deriving its name from the Anglo Saxon word for a collection of mud cottages. The houses are more substantial now, but the parish is still small with a population of about 120.

The church has a warm and friendly atmosphere. Our regular services are Holy Communion and Matins, from the Book of Common Prayer, but from time to time during the year the church is used for Evensong, special services, concerts and other events. The benefice is shared with Colwall, so we have the same Rector and ministry team, and the churchwardens form a local contact point.

The parish registers from 1675 to 1812 were deposited in Hereford Record Office. From 1286 to date 58 rectors of Coddington have been listed. The earliest records relating to Coddington are the Bishop's Transcripts, which start in 1660.

The church, occupying the site of an earlier building of the Saxon period, was built between AD 1148 and 1163. It has many interesting features including the east window by Morris & Co and some fine embroidered altar frontals by William Morris. The bells have recently been restored.

The Churchyard Cross is a listed monument; positioned south of the chancel, it is constructed of local stone. It was built as the centre point of the hamlet, from where the priest would preach. It was damaged by Puritan soldiers during the Civil War and a new cross was added in early Victorian times.

This small quiet country church (with seating for about 80 people) is well worth a visit on a Sunday when the church is open. The car park behind the church provides some 23 parking spaces on gravel with about 20 more on the grass. Before you leave, do stop to admire the panoramic view over the countryside from the north west of the church.